With petrol averaging 131.60p per litre and diesel at 141.46p, filling up a 50-litre tank now costs between £66 and £71. But those are national averages – what you actually pay depends heavily on which petrol station you use. Prices can vary by as much as 20p per litre between fuel stations just a few miles apart, meaning the difference between a savvy fill-up and an expensive one could be £10 or more per tank.

Here’s how to make sure you’re not overpaying.

Why Fuel Prices Vary So Much

Not all petrol stations price their fuel the same way. Supermarkets like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons typically offer the lowest prices, using fuel as a loss-leader to get you through the door. Independent forecourts, petrol garages and motorway services tend to charge the most – sometimes significantly more.

You’ve probably noticed this yourself: UK motorway fuel prices are often 15-20p per litre higher than regular forecourts. That quick top-up at the services could be costing you an extra £8-10 per tank compared to waiting for the nearest petrol station off the motorway.

Location matters too. Urban areas with multiple competing stations often see lower prices than rural locations where drivers have fewer options. And even within the same town, prices can swing depending on local competition and footfall.

Use a Fuel Price Checker

The simplest way to find cheap fuel is to check before you leave. Instead of typing “petrol station near me” into Google and hoping for the best, use a dedicated fuel price checker that shows you actual prices, not just locations.

At CheckFuelPrices, you can enter your postcode, town or city and instantly see current prices at nearby stations, ranked from cheapest to most expensive. Looking for a fuel station near me? We’ll show you every option within your chosen radius, complete with live pricing.

Each listing shows the price per litre for petrol (E10), super unleaded (E5), diesel (B7) and premium diesel, along with the distance from your location. You can filter by fuel type and see when prices were last updated – so you know you’re getting accurate information, not stale data.

How the Fuel Finder Scheme Helps

Since February 2026, all UK petrol stations are required to report their prices to a central government database within 30 minutes of any change. This is the Fuel Finder Scheme, introduced to bring transparency to fuel pricing.

CheckFuelPrices pulls data directly from this scheme, meaning when you search for petrol stations near me, you’re seeing near real-time prices for participating forecourts. Combined with our existing retailer feeds, we’re now covering more stations with fresher data than ever before.

Is It Worth Driving to the Closest Petrol Station?

The closest petrol station to me isn’t always the cheapest – and that’s the key insight. If a fuel garage near me is 5p per litre cheaper than the nearest option, that’s £2.50 saved on a 50-litre fill. Whether it’s worth driving past the nearest petrol station depends on the distance and your car’s fuel economy.

As a rough guide: if the saving per litre multiplied by your tank size exceeds the cost of the extra fuel to get there, make the detour. For small differences of 1-2p per litre, the closest option makes sense. For 5p or more, it’s usually worth going slightly further.

Tips for Consistently Paying Less

Fill up at supermarket petrol stations when possible – they’re almost always cheaper than branded forecourts. You can browse stations by brand to compare Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s prices in your area.

Avoid motorway services unless you’re running on fumes; with UK motorway fuel prices running so much higher than regular stations, that convenience comes at a serious cost.

Check prices before setting off, especially if you’re driving somewhere unfamiliar. Searching “fuel station near me” once you’re already low on fuel limits your options – a quick check on our fuel price checker before you leave means you can plan your route around the cheapest stop.

Keep an eye on price trends too. Fuel tends to be cheapest mid-week and can creep up before bank holidays when demand rises. Check our fuel price map to see pricing across a wider area, or search by postcode if you know exactly where you’re heading.

Find the Cheapest Petrol Station Near You

Ready to stop overpaying at the pump? Head to CheckFuelPrices.co.uk, enter your location, and see exactly what every petrol garage near you is charging right now.