Work is being completed to ensure that a new scheme can launch in the near future to support petrol and diesel drivers by slashing prices.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined plans to introduce the Fuel Finder price checking scheme in last year’s Autumn Budget to help motorists.
The measure will require all UK retail filling stations to report prices and the unavailability of fuel within 30 minutes of a change.
It outlined that, subject to parliamentary timings and the passage of required legislation, the Government would launch the scheme by the end of 2025.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson (DESNZ) confirmed that Fuel Finder is “on track” and is still planned to launch this year.
Speaking to GB News, they said: “Retailers must give drivers a fair price for their fuel, by passing on any savings at the pump. Fuel Finder will ensure retailers share real-time prices, making them more accountable to drivers.
“We have also given the Competition and Markets Authority powers to monitor competition in the road fuel market, to make sure people aren’t being charged rip-off prices when they fill up.”
Modelling by the Government suggests that drivers could save between one and six pence per litre once the Fuel Finder tool is active.
Filling station operators could be slapped with huge fines if they fail to adhere to Fuel Finder scheme rules
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently launched a consultation to examine how companies and organisations responded to penalties that could come from the scheme.
The regulator outlined that it can hand out potential financial penalties to filling stations which do not adhere to the requirements of the Fuel Finder.
These could include:
- A fixed amount of up to one per cent of worldwide turnover
- A daily rate of up to five per cent of daily worldwide turnover
- In the case of a combination being used, up to one per cent of worldwide turnover and five per cent of daily worldwide turnover, respectively
Potential instances where punishments could be levied include when the breach has an adverse impact on a CMA investigation or on consumers.
Penalties could even be issued if a filling station “sought to obtain an advantage or derive benefit from the failure to comply” with requirements.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent forecourts, supermarkets and motorway service area operators, told GB News that it had worked to support the new measures.
A spokesperson said: “We have fully co-operated with the Government to ensure the successful implementation of the Fuel Finder Scheme.
“We are currently assessing the consultation concerning the penalties for non-compliance and are working with the aggregator VE3 Global to ensure our members fully understand their obligations and are ready for when the scheme commences in 2026.”
The Fuel Finder tool is likely to follow in the successful footsteps of the Consumer Council’s Fuel Price Checker in Northern Ireland.
This tool shows the cheapest, average and most expensive petrol and diesel prices across the country, and often helps drivers in Northern Ireland save 7p per litre for petrol and 10p for diesel, compared to the rest of the UK.
In Dungannon, drivers are paying just 124.9p for petrol, while diesel vehicle owners are charged £1.29 in Cookstown. To compare, the UK average price for unleaded is 135.48p for petrol and 143.13p for diesel.