Diesel tops £2 a litre for the first time ever

The average price of diesel at UK forecourts has gone above £2 a litre for the first time on record. RAC Fuel Watch data published on 2 October 2026 puts diesel at 200.01p a litre, beating the previous high of 199.09p set in June 2022. Petrol is averaging 174.71p.

The RAC blames the US/Iran conflict and disruption to oil and gas shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Prices have climbed steadily through September: diesel stood at 184.99p on 4 September and reached 199.18p on 28 September.

What this means for you

Filling a 55-litre family diesel car now costs about £110, which the RAC says is £31.70 more than on 28 February, just before the conflict began. A petrol fill-up costs about £96, around £23 more. For a 45mpg diesel car, fuel alone works out at about 20p a mile, or roughly £2,020 a year over 10,000 miles.

The RAC has called on the government to cut fuel duty or VAT on fuel in the Budget. No such cut has been announced so far.

Ways to save

• Compare before you fill up. Under the government's Fuel Finder scheme, forecourts must report their prices to a central database. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said in August that 97% of UK petrol stations are registered. The prices show up in apps such as myRAC, the AA app and Waze.
• Don't assume your usual garage has caught up. In its 18 August update, the CMA said some retailers had been slow to pass on cuts in the wholesale price of diesel. Prices can vary a lot over a few miles.
• Drive more smoothly. Gentle acceleration, the right tyre pressures and taking out unnecessary weight all reduce how much fuel you use.

Sources: RAC, RAC, RAC, CMA (gov.uk)