Diesel prices are easing, except at motorway services, now 17p a litre dearer
Diesel at motorway services averaged 216.0p a litre on 15 October, against 198.6p at every other forecourt. The 17.4p gap is the widest since our Fuel Finder series began on 24 September, and it widened by 3.0p in a week while the average elsewhere eased. UK average diesel is back under £2, at 199.0p, and the share of forecourts charging £2 or more has fallen by a quarter in under two weeks. On a 55-litre tank the motorway gap is £9.57 for diesel and £10.18 for petrol.
Diesel at motorway services averaged 216.0p a litre on 15 October, against 198.6p at every other forecourt reporting to the statutory Fuel Finder scheme. The gap is 17.4p a litre, the widest since our series began on 24 September, and it has grown at every daily reading since 7 October, by 3.0p in the past week. Most of that widening came from the motorway side: motorway diesel rose by roughly 2p over the week while diesel elsewhere fell by roughly 1p. Away from the motorway, prices are easing. UK average diesel was 199.0p, below £2 since 8 October and down from a peak of 200.3p on 3 to 5 October, and the share of forecourts charging 200p or more has fallen from 35.7% on 4 October to 26.8%. On a 55-litre tank the motorway gap is worth £9.57 for diesel and £10.18 for petrol, so with half-term trips later this month, fill up before you join the motorway.
By Tom Calder · Updated 16 October 2026 · Sourced to the statutory Fuel Finder feed (DESNZ), read daily, and cross-checked against RAC Fuel Watch
A 17.4p gap, the widest we have recorded
On 15 October, diesel at motorway services averaged 216.0p a litre across the 133 motorway forecourts reporting a diesel price. At every other forecourt it averaged 198.6p, across 5,325. The gap is 17.4p a litre, the widest since our Fuel Finder series began on 24 September 2026.
It has not always been this wide. The gap was 15.5p on 24 September, narrowed to 14.1p on 7 October and was 14.4p on 8 October. It has risen at every daily reading since 7 October, and by 3.0p in the seven days to 15 October.
Most of that widening came from the motorway side. Over the week, motorway diesel rose by roughly 2p a litre while diesel elsewhere fell by roughly 1p. We say roughly because the set of forecourts reporting changes a little from day to day. Motorway services set their own prices; our data shows what they charge, not why.
Petrol shows the same pattern: 192.1p at motorway services (124 forecourts) against 173.6p elsewhere (5,197), a gap of 18.5p. RAC Fuel Watch's own motorway figures for 15 October are close to ours: 216.4p for diesel and 193.79p for unleaded.
What it costs a tank
On a 55-litre tank, the diesel gap is £9.57 (17.4p × 55). For petrol it is £10.18 (18.5p × 55). That is the average extra cost of filling up after you have joined the motorway rather than before it. Individual forecourts sit either side of the average, which is why the postcode lookup below is worth a minute.
Elsewhere, diesel is easing
Across every forecourt reporting, UK average diesel was 199.0p a litre on 15 October (5,458 forecourts). That is down from a peak of 200.3p on 3 to 5 October, and it has been below 200p since 8 October. Petrol averaged 174.1p (5,321 forecourts), down from a peak of 175.0p on 4 October.
The share of forecourts charging £2 or more for diesel has fallen by a quarter in under two weeks. On 15 October, 1,462 forecourts, or 26.8% of those reporting, were at 200p or above. That share peaked at 35.7% on 4 October and was 33.3% a week before the latest reading, on 8 October.
RAC Fuel Watch, which uses a different method, puts diesel at 199.40p and unleaded at 174.37p on 15 October. The highest diesel figure on its table is 200.2p, on 5 October. RAC's forecast for both fuels is "Should fall". That is RAC's forecast; we do not make our own. For the background on why diesel has been this high, see our guide to diesel prices.
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By nation, and at the supermarkets
Northern Ireland has the cheapest diesel, at 191.1p (451 forecourts), then Wales at 198.5p (357) and England at 199.7p (4,903). Scotland, at 200.2p (625), is the one nation still averaging above £2. For petrol the order is the same: Northern Ireland 166.4p, Wales 173.6p, England 174.6p, Scotland 175.1p.
Supermarket forecourts averaged 196.0p for diesel (1,794 forecourts) against 199.9p at the rest (3,531), a saving of 3.9p a litre. For petrol it is 171.5p against 174.7p.
What to do
On a long trip, fill up before you join the motorway, or come off at a junction town. Right now that is typically worth £9 to £10 a tank.
Supermarket forecourts are about 4p a litre cheaper for diesel on average. Check the forecourts near you with the postcode lookup on our live fuel tracker; Home Alerts members see Fuel Finder prices within 10 miles of home.
Do not drive miles out of your way to save a few pence. A detour can cost more than it saves.
How we measure this
Fuel Finder is the statutory UK fuel price scheme run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Forecourts must report their prices to it. We read the feed daily and average the standard grade across every forecourt with a price confirmed in the last 14 days. On 15 October, 6,337 forecourts were in that count; listings older than 14 days are left out. The figures in this story are as of 15 October at 21:24 UTC.
Motorway forecourts are those the feed itself marks as on a motorway, not our judgement. We publish aggregates only, under the scheme's terms, and never a single station's price. Our series began on 24 September 2026, so "the widest we have recorded" means since then. RAC Fuel Watch is our cross-check; its averages differ slightly from ours because the methods differ, so we use ours as the main figure and RAC's to confirm the direction.
Common questions
How much more is diesel at motorway services?
On 15 October, 17.4p a litre more on average: 216.0p at the 133 motorway forecourts reporting a diesel price, against 198.6p at the other 5,325. Petrol was 18.5p more: 192.1p against 173.6p. On a 55-litre tank that is £9.57 for diesel and £10.18 for petrol.
Is diesel getting cheaper?
Slowly, away from the motorway. UK average diesel was 199.0p a litre on 15 October, down from a peak of 200.3p on 3 to 5 October, and it has been below £2 since 8 October. The share of forecourts charging £2 or more has fallen from 35.7% on 4 October to 26.8%. RAC Fuel Watch's forecast for diesel and unleaded is "Should fall"; that is RAC's forecast, not ours. At motorway services diesel rose by roughly 2p over the past week.
Where is diesel cheapest?
By nation, Northern Ireland at 191.1p a litre on average, then Wales at 198.5p, England at 199.7p and Scotland at 200.2p. By type of forecourt, supermarkets at 196.0p against 199.9p elsewhere, a 3.9p saving. Prices vary within every area, so check the postcode lookup on our live fuel tracker before a long trip. We publish averages only, never a single station's price.
Why is motorway fuel more expensive?
Our data cannot tell you. Fuel Finder records what each forecourt charges, not why, and motorway services set their own prices. We can say that over the week to 15 October motorway diesel rose by roughly 2p a litre while diesel elsewhere fell by roughly 1p, and that the gap has widened at every daily reading since 7 October.
Is this the widest the gap has been?
We can only speak for our own series. It began on 24 September 2026, so 17.4p is the widest gap we have recorded, and nothing more. On 24 September the gap was 15.5p; its narrowest point was 14.1p on 7 October.
Sources (3)
- Fuel Finder, the statutory UK fuel price scheme (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) — access guidance
- RAC Fuel Watch (15 October 2026)
- PreparedBritain — live fuel price trackerFuel Finder aggregates, series from 24 September 2026
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