Google Maps now shows UK fuel prices as diesel hits £2 a litre

UK drivers can now use Google Maps to find the cheapest petrol and diesel prices, a new feature launched on Thursday that could save motorists around £40 per year [1, 5]. The navigation app will display forecourt locations and their real-time pricing, utilising data from the government's Fuel Finder scheme [1, 2]. This comes as diesel recently topped £2 per litre for the first time, with an average 55-litre tank still costing around £110 ^[1].

It is a legal requirement for UK forecourts to update their prices on the Fuel Finder scheme within 30 minutes of any change, with around 99% of stations currently participating [1, 3]. Google Maps will independently verify this data, only displaying prices it has high confidence are accurate and up-to-date ^[1].

The move is expected to increase transparency and competition among fuel retailers, according to motoring groups [2, 3]. While other apps like Waze and PetrolPrices already offer similar services, Google Maps' widespread use by 77% of Britain's adult population for navigation makes this a significant development ^[1].

However, some experts, including Clare Lafferty from PetrolPrices, have raised concerns about the reliability of the government's Fuel Finder scheme on its own ^[1]. She noted that some forecourts have not registered or consistently update their prices, with her firm identifying 200 sites in September that they believed had not updated diesel prices in time. Sarah-Jayne Williams, Google's director of product partnerships, stated that Google Maps will only show prices it believes are accurate.

Fuel costs have surged due to global events, including the US conflict with Iran and Russia's war in Ukraine [1, 3, 5]. The US-Iran war, in particular, has impacted oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, while Russian diesel exports have dropped due to sanctions and refinery damage ^[5].

Government officials, including Minister for Energy Consumers Polly Billington and Chancellor John Healey, have welcomed the initiative as a way to help families manage the affordability crisis [3, 5]. The Fuel Finder scheme was initially recommended by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2023 [2, 3]. The CMA has previously cautioned fuel retailers about slow responses to falls in wholesale diesel prices, suggesting such The story was first reported by BBC News and The Guardian.