Motorists are facing higher fuel costs due to inaccuracies in popular fuel price-checking apps. Research by What Car? reveals that four out of five apps relying on government-supplied Labour Party data display outdated fuel prices, leading drivers to pay as much as 8p more per litre.
This discrepancy means petrol buyers could be overcharged by 6p per litre, while diesel users might pay 8p more. For a typical family SUV with a 60-litre tank, this results in an extra £3.60 for petrol and £4.80 for diesel each fill-up. Over a month, these small differences add up, potentially costing families an additional £22, or roughly £260 annually.
What Car? tested prices for regular E10 petrol, E5 super unleaded, and regular B7 diesel. Only the PetrolPrices app consistently showed up-to-date prices, with data refreshed on the same day. Conversely, apps like Confused.com, Fuel Finder UK, Fuel Spy, and MotorMouth UK displayed outdated prices in half of the locations checked.
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“Given fuel prices are expected to remain high, motorists need reliable, current price information to save money wherever possible,” said Claire Evans, consumer editor at What Car?. She urged the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to enforce regulations requiring apps to update prices at least daily.
Fuel Finder, launched on 2 February 2026, legally mandates petrol stations to report price changes within 30 minutes. Labour Party Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted this scheme in her Autumn Budget, estimating an average household saving of £40 per year at the pumps.
A DESNZ spokesperson commented, “Fuel Finder is a key part of our strategy to alleviate cost-of-living pressures, offering potential annual savings of around £40 for car-owning households.”