Diesel hits record 200.01p a litre as UK relies on imports for 55% of supply

The average price of a litre of diesel in the UK has reached a record 200.01p, according to motoring group the RAC, even as transport minister Keir Mather insisted the country's diesel supply is resilient. The RAC said it is the first time ever that the nationwide average has reached £2 a litre, and many forecourts around the UK are already charging well over that.

According to the RAC, filling an average family car with diesel now costs £110, almost £32 more than at the start of the US-Iran war. The Daily Mirror reports concerns that the price could spike as high as £3 a litre if President Donald Trump goes ahead with a threatened ban on exports of US diesel.

Mr Mather's message was aimed at Britain's near 10 million diesel drivers and the hauliers who depend on the fuel. The figures behind the reassurance tell a less comfortable story, and none of it brings the price at the pump down.

Why diesel has jumped and what ministers say

Diesel drivers have been the hardest hit by a surge in pump prices since the Iran war began at the end of February this year, the Mirror reports. Oil prices leapt because of the conflict, and refineries that turn oil into diesel have also been hit. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said there is still no sign of a deal to reopen the critical oil and gas shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Mather told Sky News that the UK "has got a diverse range of supply when it comes to diesel" and has "resilience built into our system". He said the government is working closely with US counterparts and is in talks with other European countries and the International Energy Agency. Britain and other G7 countries later agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and oil from emergency stockpiles after pressure from Mr Trump, with G7 leaders saying the release would come "within four months".

The pressure from Washington has been blunt. US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent posted on X that European partners should "accelerate delivery on their existing commitments" and that American farmers, truckers and businesses "should not be left carrying the burden of a global diesel shortage". The Mirror reports that the threatened export ban is widely seen as an attempt by the Trump administration to lower US pump prices ahead of next month's mid-term elections.

Who is paying most at the diesel pump

The RAC says the average diesel driver covering 10,000 miles a year is now spending £2,020 a year on fuel. Mr Williams said this will be very challenging for anyone who drives a lot of miles, from commuters, haulage and delivery firms and businesses with large fleets through to sole traders. He added that diesel vehicles, once seen as the most cost-effective choice for long journeys, are now "burning a hole in people's pockets".

Petrol drivers are not spared either. The RAC puts the average litre of unleaded at 174.71p, around 42p more than at the start of the war, which takes the cost of a full tank to £96. Mr Williams warned that households will be tightening the purse strings and that businesses may have no option but to pass the extra costs on to customers, a warning that reaches well beyond the forecourt.

Britain's weak spot is imports. Unlike unleaded, the UK now buys 55% of its road diesel from abroad, compared with just 14% in 2003, and nearly a third of Britain's diesel imports came from the US last year, up from 18% the year before. According to the Mirror, a US export ban would force Britain to compete with other countries for alternative supplies.

Key numbers

• 200.01p: the record average price of a litre of diesel, according to the RAC.
• 199.09p: the previous record, set in June 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• £110: the RAC's figure for filling an average family car with diesel.
• £2,020: what the average diesel driver covering 10,000 miles now spends on fuel in a year.
• 55%: the share of UK road diesel now bought from abroad.
• 40 days: roughly how much diesel Britain holds in reserve, one of the lowest levels in Europe, according to International Energy Forum data.
• 174.71p: the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol.

Fawley shutdown, the Budget and a possible US ban

Supply could get tighter before it eases. The Mirror reports that Fawley refinery in Hampshire, the UK's biggest and operated by ExxonMobil, has shut production for up to 10 weeks for maintenance and will be closed until November. The site makes almost one fifth of the fuel used on UK roads and supplies jet fuel to Heathrow. In 2025 alone, the closures of the Grangemouth refinery in Scotland and the Lindsey refinery in Lincolnshire wiped out almost a quarter of total UK refining capacity.

Chancellor John Healey is under pressure to use his Budget this month to rule out a scheduled hike in fuel prices in the new year. Nothing has been decided on that yet. Mr Trump has said only that he is "thinking" about a diesel export ban, and the G7 stockpile release is a commitment rather than fuel already reaching the pumps.

What you can do now

Because the RAC says many forecourts are charging well over the £2 average, prices can vary widely between stations in the same area. Checking several local forecourts before filling up, and combining trips where you can, are simple ways to limit the damage while prices stay this high.

If you run a van, work as a sole trader or rely on your vehicle for work, it is worth reviewing your fuel costs now rather than waiting for the next bill. Mr Williams specifically named sole traders, delivery firms and businesses with fleets among those facing the hardest time.

Keep an eye on the Budget this month for any decision on the scheduled hike in fuel prices in the new year. The minister's message is that supply is resilient, and nothing in the reports says forecourts are running dry, so there is no reason given to change how you buy fuel beyond shopping around.

Your questions answered

Is the UK going to run out of diesel?

The government says not. Mr Mather told Sky News that the UK has a diverse range of supply and resilience built into its system. However, the Mirror reports that Britain holds only about 40 days' worth of diesel, even though as a member of the International Energy Agency it is required to keep oil stocks equal to at least 90 days of net oil imports.

Why has diesel risen faster than petrol?

The Mirror reports that the leap in oil prices from the conflict came on top of a hit to the refineries that convert oil into diesel. The UK also relies far more on imported diesel than on imported unleaded, buying 55% of its road diesel from abroad compared with 14% in 2003.

Could diesel really reach £3 a litre?

That is a concern reported by the Mirror if President Trump goes ahead with a ban on US diesel exports, given that nearly a third of Britain's diesel imports came from the US last year. No ban has been announced. The RAC's figures cited in the report put the average at 199.79p on Thursday before it crossed the record to 200.01p.