Fuel Finder UK: how the Government's fuel prices scheme to help drivers compare costs works - is there an app?

• Fuel stations must now report petrol and diesel prices to a Government database
• Prices must be updated within 30 minutes, making comparisons more accurate
• Data will appear on fuel price apps, sat navs and in-car screens drivers already use
• Ministers hope greater transparency will increase competition and lower prices
• Motoring groups say drivers should find it easier to spot cheaper fuel nearby

A quiet change in the law could make one of the most frustrating parts of driving - filling up - a little cheaper.

From Monday (February 2), fuel retailers across the UK are legally required to share their petrol and diesel prices with a new Government-backed system, making it far easier for drivers to spot the cheapest pumps nearby.

Until now, many drivers had no easy way of knowing whether the forecourt they were using was good value, or whether fuel was significantly cheaper just a mile or two down the road.

That lack of visibility, regulators say, has allowed prices to remain higher than they otherwise would be.

Do I need to download a Fuel Finder app?

Under the new rules, all filling stations must report any change in pump prices to a central Government database known as Fuel Finder within 30 minutes.

The database itself is not aimed directly at drivers, and instead of having to download a single Government app, fuel prices will appear in apps and sat navs people already use, making it easy to compare nearby forecourts.

Around 30 fuel-price comparison platforms are expected to draw from the database, meaning near-real-time information on where fuel is cheapest could soon appear directly on in-car screens, smartphones and navigation systems.

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How it could lower prices

The law change follows a recommendation from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which concluded in 2023 that drivers were not benefiting from lower wholesale fuel costs quickly enough.

One of its key findings was that poor price transparency weakened competition between retailers, but industry groups say the new changes impact could be significant.

The AA says cheaper forecourts have often struggled to advertise lower prices to passing drivers, even when undercutting nearby rivals, but with live price data now visible online, those stations may attract more custom, putting pressure on competitors to respond.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “We hope this is the start of the journey to cheaper fuel prices around the UK.

“The Government has set up this scheme with the intention of increasing competition among retailers to give drivers better value at the pumps.”

As more of the UK’s roughly 8,300 forecourts submit daily prices, drivers should be able to quickly compare options and choose where to fill up based on cost and convenience.

Can I trust the new system?

There are safeguards built in, and the Government says drivers are able report discrepancies if online prices don’t match what’s displayed on the forecourt.

But for now, officials say the focus will be on helping businesses comply rather than enforcement, with penalties unlikely before May.

The system launched later than planned, with forecourt registration opening in early January after a short delay.

But ministers hope that, as uptake grows, the effect will mirror countries such as France and Austria, where transparent pricing has helped keep fuel costs in check.