Oil has had its sharpest fall of the crisis. Brent crude was around $117 a barrel in late October. By Tuesday it had dropped by about a quarter, briefly slipping below $90 for the first time since August, and this morning it touched $89.66 before steadying around $90 to $92.
Pump prices are moving, but slowly. RAC Fuel Watch puts the UK average for petrol at 168.45p a litre — down 3.4p since the start of November and 6.5p below the high of 174.94p on 5 October. Diesel is 197.27p, down 1.3p this month and 3p below its record of 200.20p, also on 5 October. Filling a 55-litre family car now costs £92.65 with petrol and £108.50 with diesel.
Live on PetrolPrices.co.uk right now
- Average petrol (E10) across the stations we track: 168.0p
- Forecourts already selling petrol under 160p: 679 (8.6% of stations reporting petrol)
- Cheapest petrol in the UK: 142.9p
- Average diesel: 197.2p
- Forecourts still charging £2 or more for diesel: 657 (8.2% of stations reporting diesel)
Updated 11 Nov 2026, 12:52 from the government Fuel Finder feed. Refreshes every 15 minutes.
Why oil has fallen
Two things have pushed the price down. On Tuesday President Trump said he saw “positive momentum” towards an agreement to end the conflict with Iran, which has reduced fears of further escalation. And analysts at ING say crude flows from the Gulf are now close to pre-war levels, mostly through routes that avoid the Strait of Hormuz. We covered the start of this fall, when Iran first agreed to talks, in oil falls 7.6% in a day on Iran talks.
It is not settled. Oil bounced back above $92 overnight after Iran denied that any negotiations with Washington were under way, and attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have continued — 37 in October and at least 10 so far in November, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
The 15p that hasn’t reached the pump yet
The AA tracks the wholesale price retailers pay for fuel. It says unleaded cost around 77p a litre in mid-October, fell to 68p by the end of the month and is now below 62p. That is a fall of more than 15p a litre — and because VAT at 20% is added at the pump, it is worth more than 18p to drivers once passed on in full.
Over the same period, the average pump price of petrol has come down by about 6.5p. Based on the wholesale trend, the AA says “another 10p reduction should be on the way”. On a 55-litre tank, that would be worth £5.50.
| Petrol | Price a litre | 55-litre tank | Saving a fill-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak, 5 October | 174.94p | £96.22 | — |
| Today (RAC) | 168.45p | £92.65 | £3.57 |
| If the AA’s 10p arrives | 158.45p | £87.15 | £9.07 |
How long should it take?
Forecourts buy fuel in advance, so a fall in wholesale costs normally takes two to four weeks to work through. Pump prices usually start to move within seven to ten days of a drop in crude, with the full saving taking up to three weeks. Wholesale petrol started falling in mid-October, so most of that window has already passed — which is why the AA says forecourts still near October’s peak have no excuse.
It is the familiar “rockets and feathers” pattern: rises arrive almost overnight, cuts drift down slowly. We explain why in how quickly should petrol prices fall and why fuel prices stay high when oil falls. The competition watchdog has already found that some retailers were too slow to pass on falls earlier this year — see some retailers too slow to pass on fuel savings.
Where you live makes a big difference
The AA says finding petrol under 160p a litre is “incredibly hit-and-miss”. The cheapest prices are mostly in rural parts of northern England, Wales and Scotland, where competing forecourts have cut hard — it singles out Bishop Auckland, where even the supermarkets have been forced to lower their prices. London and the South East stand out for having no bargain-price forecourts at all. Our guide to why petrol prices differ in the same town explains how local competition drives this.
Why diesel is lagging
Diesel drivers are seeing less relief because diesel itself is still scarce. The AA says wholesale diesel has fallen by only about 4p a litre since mid-October — roughly 5p at the pump with VAT — and the pump price is already 3p below its peak, so it expects only a further small reduction. The worldwide shortage of refined diesel, explained in why diesel costs more than petrol, has not gone away.
There is some progress. An analysis of government Fuel Finder data by Prepared Britain found that on 9 November about one forecourt in ten was still charging £2 or more for diesel, down from more than a third in early October. The big supermarkets were averaging around 195p, while motorway services averaged 214.2p — more than 17p above forecourts off the motorway.
| Diesel, 9 November | Average a litre |
|---|---|
| Tesco | 194.8p |
| Asda | 194.9p |
| Sainsbury’s | 195.1p |
| Morrisons | 195.5p |
| Off-motorway forecourts | 196.6p |
| Motorway services | 214.2p |
What could stop the fall
Everything depends on oil staying low. If talks with Iran stall or attacks in the Strait of Hormuz escalate, crude could climb back above $100, as it has several times since February, and the wholesale savings would disappear before they reach the forecourt. On tax, nothing changes for now: fuel duty stays at 52.95p a litre after the Budget extended the 5p cut to July 2027 — see what the Budget decided on fuel duty.
5 October 2026
Petrol peaks at 174.94p and diesel at 200.20p.
Mid-October 2026
Wholesale petrol around 77p a litre.
28 October 2026
The Budget extends the 5p fuel duty cut to July 2027.
Late October 2026
Brent crude around $117. Wholesale petrol down to 68p.
10–11 November 2026
Brent dips below $90. Wholesale petrol under 62p. Petrol averages 168.45p and diesel 197.27p.
Coming weeks
The AA expects about 10p more off petrol if wholesale prices hold.
How to get the cut before your local forecourt does
The national average hides a wide spread. Some forecourts have already passed on most of the fall; others are still close to October’s prices. The live box above shows how many are already under 160p — the trick is finding one near you.
Four quick ways to pay less while prices fall
- Check before you set off. We cover over 8,000 stations from the government Fuel Finder feed, updated every 15 minutes.
- Use the fuel price map to see which nearby forecourts have already cut — supermarkets and competitive independents usually move first.
- Save your regular stations in favourites and turn on price alerts, so you know the moment one of them drops.
- Avoid motorway services. On a long trip, the journey planner finds the best-value stop on your route.
National averages are from RAC Fuel Watch as of 10 November 2026. Wholesale figures are from the AA. Supermarket and motorway diesel averages are from Prepared Britain’s analysis of government Fuel Finder data on 9 November 2026. Tank costs are based on a 55-litre tank. Live figures come from the government Fuel Finder feed and refresh every 15 minutes.