What the CMA found
The report is the latest in a series the CMA has produced since the Middle East conflict sent oil prices spiking earlier this year. This one assesses the market through the end of June. The headline finding is reassuring on one level: as wholesale costs came down over the early summer, pump prices did fall, and the watchdog found no evidence that retailers deliberately changed their pricing to cash in on the crisis. There was no profiteering.
But there's a sting. The CMA remains concerned that most retailers are using what it calls "passive pricing" — being quick to raise prices when wholesale costs go up, but slow to cut them when costs come back down. In particular, it found some retailers did not immediately pass on falls in wholesale diesel prices between May and June. Had they done so, it would have piled competitive pressure on their rivals and pushed pump prices down faster. The upshot is that retailer margins — the gap between what a station pays for fuel and what it charges — stayed at or above the historically high levels seen in 2025. As recently as April, the average margin was 11.3p a litre, against 10.7p across 2025.
"Rocket and feathers", explained: Passive pricing is the industry version of a pattern drivers know instinctively — prices that shoot up like a rocket when oil rises, then drift down like a feather when it falls. It isn't illegal, and the CMA hasn't accused anyone of breaking the law. But it's precisely why the price on the same forecourt can lag weeks behind the wholesale market, and why the station down the road can be markedly cheaper.
Where prices stand right now
For context, this all comes after a punishing summer at the pumps. Petrol currently averages around 161.1p a litre and diesel 181.4p (week commencing 17 August) — both easing very slightly week on week, but still far above the roughly 135p and 143p drivers were paying before the conflict began. Diesel in particular now carries a premium of over 20p a litre above petrol. So while the June falls were real, the backdrop is still one of high prices — which is what makes the pace at which retailers pass on savings matter so much.
The bit the site is built for
Here's the part worth pinning up. The CMA's chief executive, Sarah Cardell, was clear about what drivers can do while the regulator keeps up the pressure: "Fuel Finder can help drivers save money when they fill up." Fuel Finder is the Government scheme that requires retailers to report price changes within 30 minutes — and it's the exact live feed that powers this website. The CMA's update confirms it's working: around 97% of stations are now registered, covering 99% of all fuel sold, after the regulator sent 1,166 letters and 53 compliance notices to laggards since April (no fines have been needed yet).
In other words, the regulator's own remedy for slow, sticky forecourt pricing is transparency — letting drivers see who's cut their prices and who hasn't, and take their custom to the cheaper station. That's the entire point of comparing before you fill. When some retailers sit on high margins and others pass savings on quickly, the gap between the cheapest and dearest station in the same area gets wide — and a quick check is how you make sure you're filling up at one that's playing fair.
How not to be the one overpaying:
- Compare before every big fill. The station that's slow to cut its price is the one to avoid — and Fuel Finder data shows you which is which, near you, right now.
- Check the live spread. You can see the cheapest and most expensive forecourts in the UK right now on our live tracker — the gap is often eye-watering.
- Watch diesel especially. The CMA singled out slow diesel cuts, so diesel drivers have the most to gain from shopping around this month.
- Reward the cheap ones. Passive pricing only works if drivers keep paying it. Taking your custom to prompt cutters is what actually forces the market to compete.
What the motoring groups say
The RAC and the AA both welcomed the CMA's tougher stance. The RAC's Simon Williams said it was very concerning that fuel margins remain historically high and competition still lacking, and that some retailers hadn't cut prices as quickly as they should have when diesel wholesale costs fell — adding that the RAC is pleased the watchdog will take a closer look. The AA's president, Edmund King, made the fair-minded point that plenty of retailers do pass on cuts promptly and help their customers — the problem is the ones who don't. It's worth remembering, too, that retailers have their own case: fuel retailing carries real fixed costs, and industry bodies have objected in the past to what they see as inflammatory language about forecourt pricing.
What happens next
The CMA says it will actively monitor the market and carry out a more detailed review in the autumn, digging further into retailer pricing strategies and how quickly wholesale changes reach the pumps. That review lands at a pointed moment — the Budget on 28 October will decide the future of the 5p fuel duty cut, which we cover in our look at the Budget and the duty deadline. Between the watchdog's scrutiny and the Chancellor's decision, the autumn will shape pump prices well into next year.
For now, the lever in your hands is the same one the regulator is pointing at. You can track the weekly national averages on our UK Fuel Price Index, and if you want to understand why neighbouring stations can differ so sharply, we explain why prices vary so much across the same town.