London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026

Cost of living: Average price of filling family car with petrol set to exceed £100 for first time

Cost of living: Average price of filling family car with petrol set to exceed £100 for first time

It comes amid the government's continued concern that the 5p cut implemented by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March is still not being reflected in pump prices at all filling stations.

The average cost of filling a typical family car is expected to exceed £100 in the largest daily price jump in 17 years.

A litre of petrol cost an average of 180.7p on Tuesday, according to data firm Experian Catalist, a rise of 2.2p compared with the previous day.

A similar increase is set to take the average cost of a full tank for a 55-litre family car to more than £100 for the first time.

The average cost for the day will be published on Thursday morning.

It comes amid the government's continued concern that the 5p cut implemented by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March is still not being reflected in pump prices at all filling stations.

Downing Street indicated that fuel retailers failing to pass on the fuel duty cut could be named and shamed.

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "We are continuing to look at all possible options. Transparency may have an important role to play.

"It is important the public understand what actions each of the fuel retailers are taking and so we are considering what further options we can take in this area."

Some forecourts across the country are already selling petrol above £2 per litre, price comparison website PetrolPrices reported.

Highest petrol prices at BP sites


The highest price so far has been recorded as 202.9p at BP sites on the A1 near Sunderland, Tyne and Wear; the M4 near Chippenham, Wiltshire; and the M6 near Burton-in-Kendal, Cumbria.

Meanwhile, the most expensive forecourts on local roads are selling fuel at up to 196.9p per litre in Glasgow and near Stafford, Staffordshire.


Average diesel prices are also at a record high, hitting 186.6p on Tuesday, up 1.4p from Monday.

RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams said: "The average price of petrol endured its biggest daily jump in 17 years by going more than 2p (2.23p) a litre on Tuesday taking it to nearly 181p a litre (180.73p).

"Diesel increased by almost 1.5p to yet another record high at 186.57p. A full tank of unleaded has now shot up to £99.40, moving us ever closer to the milestone £100 petrol fill-up - an unfortunate landmark we may reach as soon as tomorrow."

Asda hikes petrol prices


"Asda hiked its average petrol price nearly 5p a litre in a single day, which is unheard of.

"These are unprecedented times in terms of the accelerating cost of forecourt fuel."

He warned that "we are still some way from the peak" as it will take several days for an unexpected fall in wholesale costs on Tuesday to be reflected in pump prices.

An Asda spokesman told Sky News: "The wholesale price of fuel has increased at an unprecedented rate, rising by over 9p per litre in the last week.

"Motorists trust us to provide the best value at the pumps and we will do all we can to minimise the impact of rising wholesale prices on our customers."

AA spokesman Luke Bosdet described Tuesday's more than 2p-a-litre leap in average UK petrol prices as a "huge shock".

"The government needs to act fast to rein in these excesses," he added.

"The example of fuel price transparency in Northern Ireland, where petrol and diesel two days ago averaged 6p a litre cheaper than the UK average, shows a way forward that will revive competition and can be implemented in a matter of weeks."

The Consumer Council of Northern Ireland monitors the country's fuel prices.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
Twenty Passengers Injured After Southern Train Derails Near Lewes in East Sussex
Government Rules Out High-Speed Rail Revival Between West Midlands and Northern England
West Midlands Bus Network Returns to Public Ownership in Twenty-Four Million Pound Deal
UK Competition Watchdog Targets Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Drip Pricing
Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Resigns After Dispute Over Causeway Hospital Surgery Closure
UK Long-Term Government Bond Yields Rise to Five Point Eight Five Percent as Borrowing Costs Surge
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Push Housing Development Near Major Transport Hubs
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
Artists Urge UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Reject New North Sea Oil and Gas Licensing
UK Government Awards Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Pound Civil Service Training Contract to EY and KPMG
Global Government Bond Yields Rise as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation Concerns
British Housing Market Records Weakest August Since Two Thousand and Eighteen as Asking Prices Fall
UK Announces New Sanctions on Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Institutions
UK Approves Virgin Rail Group Services Through Channel Tunnel, Challenging Eurostar
UK Government Backs Three Hundred Million Pound AI Investment Zone in North Lanarkshire
UK Declares National Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Imported Eggs
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
×