The government’s new petrol price comparison scheme Fuel Finder has come under fire on its first day after almost a quarter of UK forecourts failed to sign up in time, amid reports of technical problems and incomplete data.
From Monday (Feb 2), all of the UK’s 8,300 road fuel retailers are legally required to submit pump price changes to Fuel Finder, a central government database designed to allow third-party apps and websites to display live fuel prices. Any changes must be reported within 30 minutes, with non-compliance potentially attracting significant fines.
However, the system got off to a faltering start, The Times reported.
Data from myAutomate, which operates the Petrol Prices website, showed that by 9am on Monday only 6,243 petrol stations had registered with Fuel Finder – just over three quarters of the total. Of those listed, only a small proportion had uploaded pricing data.
Clare Lafferty, director of the Petrol Prices website, said that the data submitted was not always in the “agreed format”, making it difficult for third-party platforms to use effectively.
From May retailers who breach reporting rules can be fined 30 per cent of their UK turnover.
The CMA said that until the beginning of May, the focus will be on supporting businesses to comply with the regime rather than enforcement action. The AA said it expected that it would take a little while for the system to bed in and for teething problems to emerge and be resolved.
The scheme was introduced after the CMA recommended a fuel monitor oversight body. Big retailers were found to have overcharged drivers by £900 million in 2022 and all retailers were overcharged by £1.6 billion the following year.
According to the RAC, a litre of unleaded petrol averages 131.91p in the UK having fallen more than 3p in January. The last time petrol was under 132p was on July 2, 2021, when it averaged 131.81p.
In her budget last year, Rachel Reeves said she expected Fuel Finder to save the average driver £89.
Simon Williams, head of policy of the RAC, said that Fuel Finder was a “big thing” for smaller retailers who needed time to put measures in place.
“We hope this is the start of the journey to cheaper fuel prices around the UK,” he said. “As a growing number of the country’s 8,300 forecourts submit their prices on a daily basis, drivers will be able to easily find the cheapest forecourts near them using their favoured app or sat nav.”
The Department of Energy and Net Zero said: “Around three‑quarters of petrol stations have already signed up and we encourage remaining retailers to register now to ensure compliance with this mandatory scheme.
“Fuel Finder will drive up competition and is set to see working families save around £40 a year at the pump, as we tackle the cost of living head-on.”