Reeves’s fuel price comparison scheme could cost drivers £260

Joe WrightTue, May 12, 2026 at 2:06 PM UTC

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Rachel Reeves has claimed the initiative would save the average household £40 a year - Anadolu

Labour’s new scheme for comparing fuel prices could leave drivers £260 a year worse off, analysis shows.

The Government launched its “Fuel Finder” initiative in February, hailing it as a “major milestone in tackling the cost of living”.

Under the scheme, petrol stations are legally required to share changes to pump prices within 30 minutes of making them. These prices are then published on fuel comparison sites, giving drivers up-to-date information on the cheapest locations to fill up.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, claimed the initiative would save the average household £40 a year.

However, an investigation by the marketplace What Car? found that four of the five accredited comparison sites it analysed were showing out-of-date prices. The discrepancy means drivers could end up overpaying by 6p per litre for unleaded and 8p for diesel, according to the analysis.

Motorists who rely on the data and regularly visit sites where fuel prices are higher than stated could be £22 out of pocket each month. It means they could find themselves £260 worse off over the course of the year, rather than £40 better off, as Ms Reeves suggested.

The Chancellor said in March that the scheme put “power back” into the hands of hard-up families.

She added: “By giving drivers the information they need to see where fuel is cheapest locally, they can avoid being overcharged and continue to fill up as normal.”

What Car?’s analysis checked prices for regular E10 petrol, E5 super unleaded and regular B7 diesel. It found that correct prices were displayed on the PetrolPrices app, which stated that prices had been that day.

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But prices on Confused.com, Fuel Finder, Fuel Spy and MotorMouth UK had not been and were showing out-of-date prices in two of the four locations.

Under the Government’s rules, petrol stations must share their price changes with comparison sites within 30 minutes. Petrol stations that fail to do so risk being fined.

It is understood that a mixture of non-compliance from petrol stations and delays in updating live data on websites means motorists hunting for the best deal are encountering inaccurate information.

Claire Evans, of What Car?, said: “More needs to be done to help cash-strapped motorists. With fuel prices likely to stay eye-wateringly high for the foreseeable future, motorists need easy access to the latest fuel prices so they can save money wherever possible.”

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is taking enforcement action against companies that have not signed up to the Government’s Fuel Finder scheme. Around nine in 10 have signed up so far, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Higher pump prices are likely to persist for the coming months as the fallout from the Middle East crisis continues.

Having ignored pleas to lower fuel duty, which stands at 52.95p per litre, the Government is poised to stick with its plan to increase the tax for the first time in 16 years this autumn.

There will be a 1p rise in September, followed by a 2p jump in December and a 2p increase in March 2027.

The staggered 5p rise will cancel out the “temporary” cut introduced by the Tories in the wake of soaring oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The DESNZ was approached for comment.

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Source: “AOL Money”