The cost of filling up an average family car is now almost £110 – £31 more than it was at the start of the US-Iran conflict
by LIAM O’HEANAI
The nationwide average for diesel has smashed the highest ever – after reaching 199.18p per litre – with drivers warned of “uncharted territory” and much worse to come.
There are even warnings that the price of diesel could surge to £2.50 or even £3 a litre if US President Donald Trump goes ahead with the threat of an export ban on the fuel, with warnings it could “detonate” a global inflation shock.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “The average price of a litre of diesel has now reached the highest level in UK history at 199.18p, in what will be a financial blow to households and businesses that use their vehicles regularly.
“The average price of a litre of diesel has now reached the highest level in UK history at 199.18p, in what will be a financial blow to households and businesses that use their vehicles regularly.
“The cost of filling up an average family car is now almost £110, £31 more than it was at the start of the US-Iran conflict.
“By eclipsing the previous highest price of 199.09p seen in June 2022, the diesel price has entered new uncharted territory. This spells pain not only at the pumps for drivers, but for everyone who buys goods or services that rely on diesel lorries and vans; undoubtedly, these increased costs will be passed on to consumers.
“Petrol prices, too, are continuing to rise. A litre of unleaded stands at 174.13p on average, 41p more than at the start of the war – taking the cost of a full tank to nearly £96.
Around 9.5million diesel drivers have been hit hard by a price surge caused by the US-Iran war, which has triggered a leap in oil prices and impacted production at refineries in the region.
Higher diesel prices also risk feeding through to a host of other products given its importance for hauliers.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Most delivery trucks are diesel, and most goods transported on the roads to our ports are fuelled by diesel. Industry and rural communities are dependent on diesel. Diesel helps run the backbone of Britain.”
The nationwide average for super unleaded stands at 190.64p a litre, said the RAC, with premium diesel at 217.06p.
Daniel Evans, head of fuels and refining research at financial analyst firm S&P Global, said: “The timing couldn’t be worse. We’re at the point of the year where diesel demand is building towards the peak for diesel consumption globally in October. It’s harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere, and people are buying heating fuels ahead of the winter.
“Typically between August and October diesel demand increases by about two million barrels a day. And between Russia and the Middle East combined we’ve lost about two million barrels a day of diesel supply. Supply and demand are pulling in opposite directions.”
The pain at the pumps is placing pressure on Chancellor John Healey to extend the freeze on fuel duty in next month’s Budget. It had been due to rise by 5p in May before Sir Keir Starmer’s government delayed the increase until the end of the year. The tax is charged at 52.95p a litre for petrol and diesel.
Diesel drivers in the UK are especially exposed because of the amount that now needs to be imported following a number of refineries that have closed.
The country now buys 55% of its road diesel from abroad, compared with just 14% in 2003. Since then, the number of refineries capable of producing diesel has fallen from nine to four.
In 2025 alone, the closures of the Grangemouth refinery in Scotland and Lindsey refinery in Lincolnshire wiped out almost a quarter of total UK refining capacity.
Nearly a third of Britain’s diesel imports came from the US last year – up from 18% the year before. This dependency has been brought into sharp relief amid reports that Donald Trump is considering a block on US diesel exports. The President is believed to be considering measures to try and bring down pump prices for US drivers ahead of the all-important mid-term elections.
Nigel Green, chief executive of financial advisory firm deVere Group, said: “Washington has its hand on the most dangerous lever in the entire energy system. Diesel moves the world. It fuels the lorries, the tractors, the freight trains and the factory generators. Choke it off and every price tag on the planet feels the shockwave.”
Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com, said: “Most of us can’t simply stop driving, so it’s about softening the blow rather than avoiding the pump.
“A lot comes down to where you are and where you choose to fill up, as prices vary between regions and retailers. Supermarkets and local forecourts are usually cheaper than motorway services, so it pays to shop around.
“There are also simple ways to make a tank last longer and stretch your budget further.” Those include removing excess weight, as a heavier car makes the engine work harder and burn more fuel. Keeping tyres inflated to the correct pressure, which reduces resistance and improves efficiency, and easing off the accelerator and avoiding sharp braking on longer journeys.
Figures from the RAC showed Tesco (STORE SIGN AT TOP OF THIS PAGE) was the cheaper supermarket nationally for diesel, at 195.4p, just ahead of Asda at 195.6p per litre. Tesco was also the cheapest for unleaded, at 171p on average across the UK, followed by Asda at 171.7p.