Fuel Price Check Analysis – Week of April 21, 2026

Current Prices: Petrol 157.62p/L | Diesel 191.24p/L

UK fuel prices have finally dropped for the first time since the Middle East conflict began nearly eight weeks ago. Petrol fell 0.5p per litre while diesel dropped 0.9p – modest reductions, but a significant turning point after 43 days of relentless increases.

A 50-litre tank of petrol now costs £78.81 – down 25p from last week. Diesel drivers are paying £95.62, a saving of 45p compared to seven days ago.

This Week’s Prices

• Petrol (ULSP): 157.62p per litre – down 0.5p this week
• Diesel (ULSD): 191.24p per litre – down 0.9p this week

While the reductions are small, they mark a crucial change in direction. After seven weeks of continuous rises – with diesel increasing by more than 50p per litre at its peak – prices are finally heading the right way.

The Ceasefire Effect

The temporary ceasefire in the Gulf has brought crude oil prices down from their recent peaks, and wholesale fuel costs have followed. This is now beginning to filter through to forecourt prices.

As RAC head of policy Simon Williams predicted last week: “We’d expect petrol and diesel to drop by several pence a litre in the next week or so.”

The first reductions have now arrived – though they remain modest so far.

Still a Long Way to Go

Despite this week’s falls, prices remain dramatically higher than before the crisis:

• Petrol: Still 25.91p higher than late February (up from 131.71p)
• Diesel: Still 49.78p higher than late February (up from 141.46p)

For drivers filling up weekly, the crisis has added:

• Petrol: £12.96 per tank – £674 extra per year
• Diesel: £24.89 per tank – £1,294 extra per year

Year-on-Year Comparison

The year-on-year figures remain stark:

• Petrol: 23.4p MORE expensive than April 2025
• Diesel: 49.8p MORE expensive than April 2025

Diesel drivers are paying nearly £25 more per 50-litre tank compared to this time last year.

The Diesel Premium

The gap between petrol and diesel stands at 33.62p per litre. Diesel drivers are paying £16.81 more per 50-litre tank than petrol users.

Wholesale costs show the disparity:

• Petrol base cost (pre-tax): 78.40p
• Diesel base cost (pre-tax): 106.41p
• Fuel duty: 52.95p (unchanged)
• VAT at 20%: 26.27p (petrol) / 31.87p (diesel)

Diesel’s wholesale cost remains above £1 per litre, though it has edged down from last week’s 107.10p.

What Happens Next?

If the ceasefire holds and wholesale costs continue to fall, further reductions should follow. However, the pace of decline may be slower than drivers hope – the “rocket and feather” effect means prices often fall more slowly than they rise.

The Competition and Markets Authority is monitoring forecourt pricing closely. Drivers and motoring groups will be watching to see whether retailers pass on wholesale savings promptly.

Key factors to watch:

• Whether the ceasefire holds beyond its initial period
• How quickly oil shipments normalise through the Strait of Hormuz
• Whether retailers pass on wholesale savings at a reasonable pace
• The “postcode lottery” – competitive areas may see faster reductions

Shopping Around Still Essential

With prices beginning to fall unevenly across the country, shopping around is more important than ever. Some stations will cut prices faster than others.

Use CheckFuelPrices to compare prices at stations near you. Finding a station that has already reduced prices while others lag behind could save you several pounds per tank.

The Road Ahead

This week’s price falls are welcome news after nearly two months of pain at the pumps. But with petrol still 26p above pre-crisis levels and diesel nearly 50p higher, there’s a long way to go before prices return to anything like normal.

We’ll continue tracking prices daily. If the downward trend continues, we’ll report each step of the recovery.

The Cost of Filling Up

Find the Cheapest Fuel Near You

With prices starting to fall, now is the time to find stations leading the reductions. Use CheckFuelPrices to spot the best deals in your area.