Take Action
Fuel Prices Are Affecting Everyone. It's Time to Be Heard.
Fuel costs affect commuters, families, delivery drivers, tradespeople, businesses and anyone who depends on a vehicle. This page explains how you can raise your concerns and take part in peaceful civic action.
Current data
The Fuel Price Situation Now
Weekly UK averages from the official GOV.UK / DESNZ series. These are weekly national averages, not real-time pump prices.
Petrol average
175.3p/litre
↑ +0.4p vs week commencing 5 October 2026
Week commencing 12 October 2026 · Updated 12 October 2026
Diesel average
200.0p/litre
↑ +0.5p vs week commencing 5 October 2026
Week commencing 12 October 2026 · Updated 12 October 2026
Fuel Duty rate
52.95p/litre
Scheduled to change to 55.95p from 1 January 2027 (final rate to be confirmed at Budget 2026).
In force since 15 June 2026
Fuel prices updated: week commencing 12 October 2026 · last successfully checked 19 Oct 2026, 13:43 · GOV.UK / DESNZ: Weekly road fuel prices
Historical prices are kept separate on our Fuel Prices Through Time page and are never mixed with the figures above.
Where the money goes
What Makes Up the Pump Price
Wholesale cost, Fuel Duty, VAT and retailer margin. Each breakdown below carries its own date and sources.
Petrol (unleaded)
Updated automatically- Wholesale fuel, refining & distribution81.8p (46.7%)
i
- Fuel duty53.0p (30.2%)
i
- VAT (20%)29.2p (16.7%)
i
- Retailer / forecourt margin11.3p (6.4%)
As of 12 October 2026. Source: GOV.UK (fuel prices, fuel duty, VAT) and CMA Enhanced Road Fuel Monitoring report (retailer margin), via GOV.UK
Methodology: Fuel duty (52.95 pence/litre) and the 20% VAT rate are exact figures from GOV.UK, applied to the latest GOV.UK/DESNZ weekly average petrol price of 175.3p/litre (week commencing 2026-10-12). The retailer margin (11.3 pence/litre) is the CMA's reported average market-wide petrol margin for April 2026 (Enhanced Road Fuel Monitoring report, via GOV.UK). 'Wholesale, refining & distribution' is the remainder after duty, VAT and margin are subtracted. It is a calculated figure, not a separately published one. Because the margin and the pump price are from different dates, this breakdown is an approximation, not an exact same-day figure.
Campaign
What We Are Calling For
- Immediate action to reduce the pressure of fuel prices on households and businesses.
- Review fuel duty and other fuel-related taxation during periods of exceptional fuel-price increases.
- Greater transparency around fuel pricing from refinery to forecourt.
- Stronger monitoring of competition in the fuel retail market.
- Better support for people whose work depends on driving.
- Clearer public information about fuel prices, taxation and market conditions.
These are FCE's requests, not government policy. Read the evidence behind each one.
Check the evidence
Check the figures yourself
Every figure is linked to its original source and labelled as official data, a calculation or an estimate.
News
Latest News
Recent coverage from external publishers.
The Guardian ·
Heat pumps and insulation would cut UK living costs more than new oilfields, study suggests
Warm homes plan would create 50,000 jobs, compared with about 1,100 for Rosebank oilfield, thinktank finds Insulating Britain’s homes and investing…
Which? ·
Record prices at the pumps, but diesel cars can still be cheaper to run than petrol
Diesel rose to over £2 a litre earlier this month, but data from Which? lab tests reveals the best diesel cars can still be cheaper to run than…
The Guardian ·
The UK energy secretary is flirting with a bad idea for bills – the ‘rising block tariff’
There are many reasons to reject this affordability ‘solution’, not least it being complex and fiddly. Just keep things simple ‘My mark of failure or…
External coverage. Fuel Crisis England does not own or endorse these articles.
Raise it directly
Contact Your MP
Your MP can raise fuel prices with the Government. Find who represents you, then adapt the message below. We do not send or collect messages.
Dear [MP's name], I am a constituent in [your area] and I am writing about the current cost of fuel. Petrol and diesel prices are placing real pressure on households, workers and businesses in our community. I would be grateful if you would raise the following with the Government and let me know your views: 1. What is being done about current fuel prices? 2. Whether Fuel Duty will be reviewed during periods of exceptional price rises. 3. Whether fuel-related taxation, including VAT, will be assessed for its effect on motorists and businesses. 4. What support is available for people whose work depends on driving. 5. How fuel-price transparency, from wholesale to forecourt, can be improved. Thank you for your time. I look forward to your reply. Yours sincerely, [Your name] [Your address and postcode]
Add your voice
Sign the FCE petition
FCE's petition calls for transparency and answers on fuel affordability. It is Fuel Crisis England's own petition, not an official UK Parliament petition, and signing it does not guarantee any particular outcome.
2 signatures
of 25,000 target
Real signatures submitted through this site, one per email address. This is an FCE campaign petition, not an official UK Parliament petition.
Peaceful civic action
Peaceful civic participation
We are currently planning a peaceful and lawful public demonstration to raise awareness of fuel costs and their impact on households, workers and businesses. Status: Planning. Date, time and location: to be announced.
Any demonstration should remain peaceful, lawful and respectful of other road users, residents, emergency services and the wider community.
Stay informed
Register Your Interest
Get in touch
Contact Fuel Crisis England
Have a question, want to get involved, or want updates about planned campaign activity? Contact Fuel Crisis England.
Transparency
Sources & Methodology
- GOV.UK: Weekly road fuel prices (DESNZ)
- GOV.UK: Fuel Duty rates
- UK Parliament: Find your MP
- RAC Fuel Watch
Fuel prices are weekly UK averages from GOV.UK / DESNZ, fetched automatically; Fuel Duty comes from GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk. News links go to the original publishers. Full methodology is on our Sources & Methodology page.
Fuel Crisis England is an independent initiative and is not affiliated with, funded by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government body, political party, company or other organisation. Linking to an organisation's information or news coverage does not mean it endorses, or is affiliated with, Fuel Crisis England.
Illustration, not a photograph of a real event. Tap the image to sign. This is Fuel Crisis England's own petition, not an official UK Parliament petition.