UK diesel average hits 200.01ppl record, prompting call to review 2027 fuel duty rises
PetrolPrices data shows the average UK diesel pump price has broken through £2 per litre for the first time, with the retailer tracker pointing to Middle East supply disruption and urging ministers to rethink scheduled 2027 fuel duty increases.
The average UK diesel price has reached 200.01p per litre, a new record high, according to PetrolPrices data covering 8,089 stations, marking the first time the national average has passed the £2 per litre threshold.
PetrolPrices says average diesel prices have risen by approximately 16 pence per litre since the start of September, adding around £9.60 to the cost of filling a typical 60-litre tank.
Nearly half of the stations surveyed — 4,934 of 8,089 — are already pricing diesel at 199.9ppl or above, a figure PetrolPrices describes as a psychological barrier retailers have used to avoid a headline price beginning with £2. One in three supermarkets are pricing at 199.9ppl, though none have yet moved above the £2 mark.
PetrolPrices attributes the rapid rise to sharp increases in wholesale diesel markets amid supply concerns following the suspension of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and heightened tensions over the US-Iran conflict, with a potential ban on US diesel exports pushing prices further.
With prices already at record levels, PetrolPrices is calling on the government to review planned fuel duty increases scheduled for 2027. Under current policy, the temporary 5ppl fuel-duty cut has been extended to the end of December 2026, with the main rate due to rise by 3ppl from 1 January 2027 and a further 2ppl from 1 March 2027.
James Hitchman, director at PetrolPrices.com, said: "Diesel has now officially broken its previous record and passed the £2/litre mark." He added that with prices already at record levels, the government should review the planned fuel duty rises, arguing that further taxation on filling up would add pressure on households, motorists and businesses at a time when fuel costs are already a significant burden on the economy.
Official weekly UK pump price data, tracked separately by government statisticians, is available via THRIVE's UK fuel prices data page.
Sources
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