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

In July 2003 a litre of petrol cost 74.21p on average, the lowest price in the government's weekly survey. In the week of 4 July 2022 it hit a record 191.55p. And in the week of 5 October 2026, diesel reached 199.52p, the highest diesel price since the series began.

Those numbers cover more than two decades of booms, crashes and tax changes. Looking at them year by year makes it easier to see what actually moves pump prices, and why the gap between petrol and diesel has widened so much recently.

Where the figures come from

The prices here come from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's "Weekly road fuel prices" series. It is an accredited official statistics series, published under the Open Government Licence, and it records average UK pump prices for petrol and diesel each week, including duty and VAT.

A few points help when reading the numbers:

• The weekly series starts in June 2003, so the 2003 average covers only part of the year.
• The 2026 figures cover the year so far, up to the week of 5 October.
• Prices are in pence per litre and are not adjusted for inflation.
• Each figure is a national average. Individual stations can be well above or below it.

This series is separate from the live station-by-station prices PetrolNearby collects through the government's Fuel Finder scheme. The weekly survey is ideal for long-term history; Fuel Finder shows what stations are charging today. You can see both on the UK fuel prices page.

UK petrol and diesel prices by year

These are the yearly averages from the weekly survey, with the gap between diesel and petrol in the final column.

For an interactive view of recent prices, see the price charts.

2003 to 2007: a steady climb

The series opens with petrol at its cheapest: 74.21p and diesel at 76.41p in the week of 14 July 2003. From there prices rose every year, with petrol averaging 94.5p by 2007.

The main driver was the price of crude oil, which climbed strongly through the mid-2000s. Fuel duty also rose in steps, from 45.82p a litre in June 2003 to 50.35p by October 2007. Diesel stayed only a few pence dearer than petrol throughout this period.

2008: the spike and the crash

2008 was the most dramatic year of the early series. Crude oil reached record highs, and UK pump prices followed: petrol peaked at 119.44p and diesel at 132.89p during the year. Diesel's peak was more than 13p above petrol's, and the yearly gap between the two fuels jumped to 10.6p.

Then the global financial crisis hit. Oil prices collapsed in the second half of the year, and pump prices fell sharply with them. In December 2008 VAT was temporarily cut from 17.5% to 15%, while duty rose to 52.35p. The 2009 averages, 99.6p for petrol and 104.2p for diesel, were well below 2008's.

2009 to 2010: recovery and tax rises

As oil prices recovered, so did pump prices. Tax changes added to the rise. Duty went up several times, reaching 58.19p by October 2010, and VAT returned to 17.5% in January 2010.

Petrol averaged 116.9p in 2010, a rise of 17.3p in a single year. Only 2022 has seen a bigger annual jump, and only 2021 has matched it.

2011 to 2013: the plateau

VAT rose to 20% in January 2011, the rate that still applies today. Duty was cut by 1p to 57.95p in March 2011 and then frozen for 11 years.

With crude oil prices staying high, pump prices settled onto a plateau. Petrol averaged 133.4p in 2011, 135.8p in 2012 and 134.3p in 2013, with diesel 5p to 6p dearer each year. For three years, filling up cost much the same.

2014 to 2016: the oil price collapse

From mid-2014 the price of crude oil fell by more than half, as global supply outpaced demand. UK pump prices followed, though more slowly and by a smaller proportion, because duty and the retailer's costs did not fall.

Petrol averaged 127.4p in 2014, 111.0p in 2015 and 108.9p in 2016, with lows around 101p. Diesel fell even further, and by 2016 it was only 1.5p dearer than petrol on average, the narrowest annual gap in the series.

Because duty stayed at 57.95p throughout, tax made up a large share of the price in these years, close to 70% in 2016. Fuel duty and VAT explained shows how that share is worked out.

2017 to 2019: back up again

Prices rose again from 2017. Crude oil recovered from its lows, and the pound fell sharply after the EU referendum in June 2016. Because oil is traded in US dollars, a weaker pound makes fuel more expensive to buy in the UK even if the dollar price of oil stays the same.

Petrol averaged 117.5p in 2017 and 125.0p in both 2018 and 2019. Diesel's premium widened again to 6.7p by 2019.

2020: the pandemic low

When Covid-19 lockdowns began in 2020, road and air travel dropped sharply and so did demand for oil. Crude prices fell steeply, and petrol dropped to a low of 104.87p. The 2020 averages were 114.1p for petrol and 119.5p for diesel.

2021 and 2022: rebound and record

As economies reopened in 2021, demand recovered faster than supply and prices climbed back. Petrol averaged 131.4p, another rise of 17.3p in a year.

Then came 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February sent oil prices sharply higher, and diesel was hit especially hard, because Russia had been a major supplier of diesel to Europe. Refining margins widened, particularly for diesel. On 23 March 2022 fuel duty was cut by 5p to 52.95p, but prices kept rising.

Petrol reached its all-time high of 191.55p in the week of 4 July 2022, and diesel peaked at 199.22p that year. The yearly averages, 164.6p for petrol and 177.8p for diesel, were the highest on record. The gap between the two fuels averaged 13.2p, the widest annual gap up to that point.

2023 to 2025: a gradual easing

Prices eased over the next three years as oil and refining costs came down from their 2022 peaks. Petrol averaged 147.7p in 2023, 141.5p in 2024 and 135.0p in 2025. Diesel followed a similar path, from 158.1p to 142.7p, though it remained between about 7p and 10p dearer than petrol.

The 5p duty cut stayed in place throughout, so each litre carried 6p less tax (the 5p of duty plus the VAT on it) than it would have at the old rate.

2026: diesel reaches a record

Prices have risen sharply in 2026. By the week of 5 October, petrol averaged 174.88p and diesel 199.52p. That diesel price is the highest in the series, just above the 199.22p peak of 2022. Petrol, by contrast, is still about 16.7p below its July 2022 record.

In that week diesel cost 24.64p a litre more than petrol. Across 2026 so far, diesel has averaged 20.1p more than petrol, the widest yearly gap in the series, compared with 13.2p in 2022 and under 2p in 2003.

Live data from PetrolNearby tells the same story. On 11 October 2026, the average across reporting stations was 174.7p for E10 petrol and 199.8p for diesel, with Northern Ireland the cheapest region for E10 at 167.1p and also well below average for diesel at 192.7p. You can check today's prices near you on the PetrolNearby home page or by town on the fuel prices by town page.

What drives UK pump prices

Over two decades, the same handful of factors explains almost every big move in the table above.

• Crude oil. The biggest single influence. The 2008 spike, the 2014 to 2016 fall and the 2020 low all followed big moves in the oil price.
• The exchange rate. Oil and refined fuels are priced in US dollars, so a weaker pound pushes up UK prices, as after 2016.
• Refining margins. The difference between the price of crude and the price of finished petrol or diesel. It widened sharply in 2022, especially for diesel.
• Tax. Fuel duty is a fixed amount per litre and VAT is 20% on top. Changes such as the 2011 VAT rise to 20% and the 2022 duty cut moved prices directly.
• Retail costs and competition. What forecourts add to cover their costs and margin, which varies by location and by type of retailer.

For a fuller explanation of how these combine into the price on the sign, see how UK fuel prices are set.

What a tank of fuel has cost

Turning prices per litre into a fill-up makes the changes easier to picture. Here is what 50 litres would have cost at some key points in the series.

From the 2003 low to the 2022 record, the price of a litre of petrol rose about 2.6 times. Remember these are cash prices: wages and other prices have risen over the same period, so the change in real terms is smaller.

Reading the history sensibly

A long price series is useful for context, but it has limits.

• It is not adjusted for inflation. A 2008 price and a 2026 price are not directly comparable in real terms.
• Averages hide local spreads. On 11 October 2026, E10 ranged from 157.9p to 209.9p across UK stations. Where you buy matters as much as when.
• It cannot tell you what happens next. Past patterns show what moves prices, not where they are heading.

If you want to keep track of your own fuel spending over time, the free PetrolNearby logbook records every fill-up and works out your economy and cost per mile. And for ways to pay less whatever the market does, see how to save money on fuel.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest petrol price ever recorded in the UK?

In the government's weekly survey, the record is 191.55p a litre, in the week of 4 July 2022. The 2022 yearly average of 164.6p is also the highest annual average for petrol.

What is the highest diesel price ever recorded in the UK?

The record is 199.52p a litre, in the week of 5 October 2026. It narrowly beat the previous peak of 199.22p set in 2022.

When were UK fuel prices at their lowest?

The lowest prices in the series were in the week of 14 July 2003, when petrol averaged 74.21p and diesel 76.41p. Since then, the notable dips have followed the 2008 crash (petrol averaged 99.6p in 2009), the oil price collapse (lows around 101p in 2016) and the pandemic (a low of 104.87p in 2020).

Why did fuel prices fall in 2015 and 2016?

Crude oil prices fell by more than half from mid-2014 as supply outpaced demand. Pump prices fell more slowly and by a smaller proportion, because fuel duty stayed at 57.95p a litre and retail costs did not fall.

Are these prices adjusted for inflation?

No. They are the actual pence-per-litre averages recorded at the time. Because other prices and wages have also risen since 2003, the increase in real terms is smaller than the cash figures suggest.