‘Unprecedented’ UK fuel price rises surpass 2022 record
Fuel price increases in March were the highest in history, adding an “unprecedented” £11 to the cost of refueling the average vehicle.
The average cost of a liter of unleaded gasoline increased by 20 pence in the month following America’s attack on Iran, from 132.83 pence per liter to 152.83 pence. Analysis by the RAC shows diesel prices rose by 40p to 182.77p in the same period.
This exceeds the pace of price increases seen after Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2022; During this period, gasoline prices increased by 16.6 percent and diesel prices increased by 22 percent.
Fuel prices have not yet reached the high levels seen at that time; In July 2022, five months after the conflict began, petrol peaked at 191.43 pence and diesel at 199.07 pence.
The current situation in the Middle East entered its second month with US President Donald Trump saying on Wednesday that the end of military operations in Iran was “very close”.
However, concerns continue that Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, an important oil shipping route, may continue after the US ends its operation. The country has threatened to attack any ship that tries to pass through the waterway, effectively halting commercial operations, reaching an estimated 20 ships so far.
The strait provides the only passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, making it a crucial point for the oil industry. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s gas and oil is transported by water, and the Iranian threat is causing great damage to global trade.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “March was truly unprecedented; fuel prices have never risen this quickly in a single month. “But although this is the largest increase per liter in a month, in real terms it is not as large as that seen in the 1973 oil crisis, when the price of a barrel quadrupled.
“The increases that drivers have to endure in March 2026 far exceed those seen in the early days of the war in Ukraine.
“While the monthly increase in the price of a liter of petrol is bad enough, the increase in the price of diesel at 40p per liter is even harder to swallow – 18p more than the previous monthly record. Long-term RAC research shows that eight in 10 people are dependent on their vehicles, these costs must be really damaging to both households and businesses.”
With the Easter weekend expected to be the busiest on the roads since 2022, motorists should look for the cheapest fuel prices to save money, the fuel expert said.
On Tuesday the Government published a list of some third-party fuel price apps and websites that use pump price data from the Fuel Finder programme.
These include Confused.com, DriveScore, Fuel Finder UK, Fuel Spy, MotorMouth, PetrolPrices.com, RAC Fuel Watch and AA.
All forecourts in the UK have been required to report price changes since February 2 to the Fuel Finder database within half an hour of the change.
