Hundreds of petrol stations across the UK, including supermarket forecourts, are failing to comply with new legal requirements requiring them to report live fuel prices, an investigation has found.
The rules, introduced to improve transparency and help motorists find cheaper fuel, require all petrol stations to submit price changes to the government-backed Fuel Finder system within 30 minutes. However, analysis of the data suggests many retailers are not providing regular updates.
The Press Association examined information submitted to Fuel Finder, which supplies data used by fuel comparison apps and websites. The analysis found that many petrol stations had failed to submit petrol prices despite the requirement being in place for more than five months.
Among those providing data, 1,751 forecourts had not reported a petrol price change for more than a week, while 96 had not submitted an update for at least a month.
Simon Williams, fuel spokesperson at the RAC, said it was unlikely that so many petrol stations had genuinely kept prices unchanged for such long periods.
He said most fuel retailers receive new supplies regularly and warned that the lack of updates could prevent drivers from finding the cheapest available fuel.
Fuel Finder was introduced after recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to increase competition between fuel retailers and reduce costs for motorists. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously described the system as a tool to help drivers compare prices and avoid paying more than necessary.
Since February 2, all UK petrol stations have been legally required to report fuel price changes within half an hour.
Williams said retailers must follow the rules to ensure drivers benefit from the scheme.
Fuel Finder data showed that 7,765 open petrol stations had provided prices for E10 petrol, the standard unleaded fuel used by most motorists, by July 6. Separate industry figures indicated that more than 8,300 petrol stations were operating across the UK.
Supermarket petrol stations were also among those failing to provide regular updates. Of the 2,229 supermarket forecourts listed on Fuel Finder, 410 had not uploaded a price change for more than a week.
A further 226 petrol stations registered on the system had either not submitted any data or were listed as temporarily closed.
Government officials had predicted that Fuel Finder could save motorists around £40 a year by encouraging drivers to compare prices and increasing competition between retailers.
The CMA has the authority to take enforcement action against petrol stations that fail to comply with the reporting requirements. A three-month grace period for retailers ended on May 1.
Despite oil prices returning close to levels seen before the Middle East conflict, petrol prices in the UK remain around 19p per litre higher than before the crisis.
Fuel Finder was established following a 2023 CMA review, which found that competition in the fuel retail market had weakened since 2019. The regulator estimated that drivers paid almost £1 billion more for fuel at supermarkets in the previous year due to increased retailer margins.
The scheme is operated by the government alongside technology company VE3.
A CMA spokesperson said most petrol stations were now registered and providing price information, helping motorists save money by comparing fuel costs.
The spokesperson added that enforcement action would be taken against retailers that fail to meet legal requirements, while noting that some stations may update prices less frequently depending on their pricing approach.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said most petrol stations were submitting fuel prices promptly and that the CMA had powers to act against businesses that failed to register or provide accurate information.