PetrolNearby

Fuel guides

Plain-English guides to UK fuel prices: what you pay for, which fuel to choose, and how to spend less. Written by the PetrolNearby team using official price data.

Fuel typesPrices explainedSaving moneyData and trends
Fuel types

E10 vs E5 petrol – which should you put in your car?

E10 or E5 super unleaded? What the numbers mean, which cars can use E10, the effect on mpg, and whether super unleaded is worth around 17.5p a litre more.

9 min readRead the guide
Prices explained

Fuel duty and VAT explained: how much of a litre is tax?

Fuel duty is 52.95p a litre and VAT adds 20% on top. See how much of the pump price is tax, with worked examples and duty rates since 2003.

12 min readRead the guide
Saving money

How to calculate your car's real mpg and cost per mile

Work out your car's real fuel economy with the full-tank method, convert litres to gallons, and calculate cost per mile at today's UK fuel prices.

9 min readRead the guide
Saving money

How to save money on fuel – 16 practical tips that work

Honest ways to cut what you spend on petrol and diesel, from comparing prices and judging detours to driving style, tyres and tracking your mpg.

9 min readRead the guide
Prices explained

How UK fuel prices are set, and where your money goes

What makes up the price of a litre of petrol or diesel in the UK, from wholesale costs and fuel duty to VAT and margins, and why nearby stations differ.

11 min readRead the guide
Fuel types

Is premium diesel worth it? Claims, costs and when it pays

Premium diesel costs about 18.8p a litre more than standard B7. What you get for the money, what to realistically expect, and when it might make sense.

8 min readRead the guide
Prices explained

Is supermarket fuel worse than branded fuel?

Supermarket petrol and diesel meet the same standards as branded fuel. What actually differs, why supermarkets are often cheaper, and how to compare.

8 min readRead the guide
Data and trends

The Fuel Finder scheme explained: where UK fuel price data comes from

How the UK Government's Fuel Finder scheme works, what the 30-minute reporting rule means, and how to read reported prices on PetrolNearby.

10 min readRead the guide
Data and trends

UK fuel prices since 2003: a history of petrol and diesel prices

How UK petrol and diesel prices have changed since 2003, from 74p a litre to record highs, with yearly averages and the main reasons behind each move.

10 min readRead the guide
Saving money

Why motorway fuel costs more, and how to plan around it

Why motorway service stations charge more for petrol and diesel, what the gap can cost you, and how to plan a long trip without overpaying or running low.

9 min readRead the guide

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Live prices from every UK filling station, updated every 15 minutes.

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