Nearly all petrol stations across the UK have now registered with the government's Fuel Finder tool, a move that could help drivers save between one and six pence per litre on petrol and diesel. According to analysis cited by the Labour Party government, approximately 97 per cent of UK filling stations are registered with the scheme, and those sites account for an estimated 99 per cent of all fuel sold in the country.
Fuel Finder scheme reaches near-universal coverage
Fuel Finder launched at the start of the year. Forecourts across the UK are required to report prices and the unavailability of fuel within 30 minutes of a change. The government confirmed that the tool can help increase competition between fuel retailers by making it easier for drivers to compare fuel prices.
"Fuel Finder can help increase competition between fuel retailers by making it easier for drivers to compare fuel prices," the government stated. "Fuel Finder has made significant progress and current analysis shows that around 97% of UK petrol stations are registered with the scheme and that those sites account for an estimated 99% of fuel sold in the UK."
Price reporting and enforcement update
Registered sites are providing fuel price information, helping drivers access up-to-date prices across the UK. Current analysis shows that the overwhelming majority of sites have recorded a price update within the last week. The government noted that if a site has not updated prices in the last week, that does not necessarily mean it is failing to report – it could be that the price has not changed. Smaller and rural sites tend to change their prices less frequently than others.
To date, the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) enforcement of Fuel Finder has focused on making sure retailers are registered with the scheme. Since the end of the grace period in April, the CMA has sent 1,166 letters to retailers and issued compliance notices in respect of 53 sites.
Compliance and next steps for retailers
Most registration issues are resolved quickly once retailers are contacted. This approach has contributed to extremely high levels of registration, with no need for the CMA to impose financial penalties. VE3, the aggregator responsible for reporting issues to the CMA, has not yet referred any suspected cases of non-compliance with the price reporting duty to the CMA.
The CMA will continue to promote compliance with the regulations through outreach to retailers and targeted, proportionate enforcement action where appropriate.
