UK fuel price insights
What the live prices at thousands of UK forecourts tell us – updated 23 October 2026. All figures are calculated from the government’s Fuel Finder data; see our methodology.
Towns where shopping around saves the most
In every town there is a spread between stations. For each UK town with at least 8 reporting stations we compare the cheapest unleaded (E10) price with the median – the price of the typical station. The bigger the gap, the more you save by choosing the right forecourt. On a 50-litre tank, 5p a litre is £2.50.
| # | Town | Stations | Cheapest | Median | Dearest | Cheapest vs median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chester | 10 | 1.569 | 1.759 | 1.799 | −19.0p |
| 2 | Liverpool | 48 | 1.619 | 1.739 | 1.799 | −12.0p |
| 3 | Shrewsbury | 14 | 1.629 | 1.749 | 1.779 | −12.0p |
| 4 | Birmingham | 64 | 1.629 | 1.729 | 1.829 | −10.0p |
| 5 | Leeds | 47 | 1.609 | 1.709 | 1.889 | −10.0p |
| 6 | Omagh | 10 | 1.599 | 1.689 | 1.719 | −9.0p |
| 7 | Manchester | 45 | 1.639 | 1.729 | 1.799 | −9.0p |
| 8 | Chelmsford | 17 | 1.659 | 1.749 | 1.799 | −9.0p |
| 9 | Dungannon | 17 | 1.559 | 1.649 | 1.689 | −9.0p |
| 10 | Exeter | 14 | 1.689 | 1.779 | 1.999 | −9.0p |
| 11 | Wolverhampton | 21 | 1.666 | 1.749 | 1.999 | −8.3p |
| 12 | Hull | 29 | 1.656 | 1.739 | 1.799 | −8.3p |
| 13 | Gateshead | 11 | 1.659 | 1.739 | 1.759 | −8.0p |
| 14 | Newcastle | 8 | 1.649 | 1.729 | 1.763 | −8.0p |
| 15 | Thetford | 8 | 1.699 | 1.779 | 1.779 | −8.0p |
Cheapest and dearest postcode areas
We group stations by postcode area (the letters at the start of a postcode, such as LS for Leeds or EH for Edinburgh) and average their current unleaded price. Only areas with at least 10 reporting stations are included (117 areas).
Cheapest – unleaded (E10)
For diesel the cheapest area is BT (£1.908) and the dearest HS (£2.067).
Supermarkets, motorways and the nations
Supermarket forecourts average £1.711 for unleaded, 3.6p cheaper than other stations. Motorway services average £1.930, 19.9p dearer than other stations. See the full breakdown, including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, on our cheapest petrol by type page.
How to use this
- Check the postcode search before you fill up: nearby stations can differ by 5p a litre or more.
- Avoid motorway services unless you must – see the motorway prices.
- Work out what a trip costs with the journey cost calculator.
FAQ
Where does shopping around save the most on petrol?
Among UK towns with at least 8 reporting stations, the biggest gap between the cheapest station and the typical (median) station for unleaded is in Chester: the cheapest is 19.0p a litre below the median, about £9.50 on a 50-litre fill-up.
Which UK postcode area has the cheapest petrol?
Of 117 postcode areas with at least 10 stations reporting, the cheapest average unleaded price is in BT (£1.658) and the dearest in HS (£1.811).