Hundreds of petrol stations across the UK are flouting legal obligations to update live fuel prices, undermining a government initiative designed to help motorists save money.
An investigation by the Press Association, analysing data submitted to the ‘Fuel Finder’ system – which feeds third-party comparison apps – reveals significant non-compliance.
Approximately 570 sites have failed to provide any petrol price information whatsoever, despite the mandate being in place for over five months.
Among those stations that have submitted data, 1,751 had not updated their petrol prices for more than a week, while 96 of these had gone at least a month without providing fresh information.
Simon Williams of the RAC said it is “not plausible that so many haven’t changed prices in a week, let alone a month”, adding that “most retailers receive new fuel supply at least once a week”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously described the scheme as “the cheap fuel finder”, and hailed it for “forcing petrol stations to publish their live prices” to make it easier for drivers to “choose the lowest price”.
All UK forecourts have been legally required to report price changes to the database within half an hour since February 2.
Mr Williams said: “Fuel Finder was introduced to help stop drivers paying over the odds when they fill up, so these findings are very concerning.
“It’s vital that all retailers follow the rules by recording price changes within half an hour.
“Steps must be taken to ensure those not reporting prices begin doing so immediately.”
A total of 7,765 open forecourts had provided prices to Fuel Finder as of 10am on Monday July 6.
Separate figures from petrol station data company My Automate show there were 8,338 sites operating in the UK as of May 31 – suggesting about 570 do not appear on Fuel Finder.
Of the 7,765 open forecourts for which data is available, 2,229 are supermarket filling stations, 410 of which had not uploaded a price change in at least a week.
Some 226 forecourts registered on Fuel Finder have either not submitted data or are listed as being temporarily closed.
When it launched, ministers expected Fuel Finder to save households who own a car an average of £40 a year by increasing competition between retailers, resulting in lower prices.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has the power to take enforcement action against retailers not meeting the requirements of Fuel Finder.
A three-month grace period for enforcement ended on May 1.
Average petrol prices in the UK remain about 19p per litre more expensive than before the conflict in the Middle East, despite oil prices returning to pre-war levels.
Fuel Finder was created on the back of a CMA recommendation in July 2023 after it found competition among retailers had weakened since 2019, with drivers paying nearly £1 billion more for fuel at supermarkets during the previous year because of increased margins.
The scheme is run by the Government and technology company VE3.
A CMA spokesperson said: “The majority of petrol stations are now registered with the scheme and reporting their prices, helping motorists pocket savings every time they fill up by shopping around.
“We will take action when petrol stations fail to comply with the law.
“While retailers are required to report price changes promptly, some sites may change their prices less often due to their pricing strategy.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “The majority of petrol stations are inputting data to Fuel Finder promptly, helping consumers across the country find the cheapest fuel in their area.
“The Competition and Markets Authority has the power to take action against any forecourt not signed up or reporting prices.
“Fuel Finder plays a crucial part in our work to tackle the cost of living head on, with savings for households who own a car of around £40 a year at the pump.”
The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent forecourts, said smaller, rural sites which only receive fuel deliveries about once per month may be among those not providing frequent price updates.
