UK fuel prices in March 2026
Petrol averaged 143.3p a litre in March 2026 and diesel 163.4p, with the daily highs and lows, brands and regions.
The month in brief
Petrol (E10) averaged 143.3p a litre in March 2026, and diesel (B7) averaged 163.4p.
Petrol rose 20.6p through the month, from 133.1p on 1 March to 153.7p on 31 March. Diesel rose 41.2p, from 142.7p on 1 March to 183.9p on 31 March.
Daily UK averages from our price data, across about 6,700 forecourts a day with a petrol price.
The month in figures
| Fuel | Average | 1 Mar | 31 Mar | In the month | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol (E10) | 143.3p | 133.1p | 153.7p | up 20.6p | 153.7p on 31 Mar | 133.1p on 1 Mar |
| Super unleaded (E5) | 160.6p | 150.8p | 170.2p | up 19.4p | 170.2p on 31 Mar | 150.8p on 1 Mar |
| Diesel (B7) | 163.4p | 142.7p | 183.9p | up 41.2p | 183.9p on 31 Mar | 142.7p on 1 Mar |
| Premium diesel | 182.9p | 164.0p | 200.2p | up 36.2p | 200.2p on 31 Mar | 164.0p on 1 Mar |
Single forecourt prices ran from 111.1p to 189.9p a litre for petrol, and from 121.6p to 225.6p for diesel. Prices far from what the rest of the UK charged that day are left out.
Each fuel's daily UK average from our price data, averaged over the days of the month.
Petrol and diesel each day
The UK average price of petrol (E10) and diesel (B7) each day in March 2026, in pence a litre.
- Petrol was highest at 153.7p on 31 March, and lowest at 133.1p on 1 March.
- Diesel was highest at 183.9p on 31 March, and lowest at 142.7p on 1 March.
Daily UK averages from our price data: each forecourt's price in effect at the end of the day.
What a tank cost
At the month's averages, a 55-litre tank cost £78.82 with petrol and £89.87 with diesel.
A gallon cost £6.51 for petrol and £7.43 for diesel, at 4.54609 litres a gallon.
Supermarkets and other forecourts
Supermarket petrol averaged 4.9p a litre less than petrol at the major brands in March, and supermarket diesel 6.7p less.
The petrol gap was widest at 7.1p on 27 March, and narrowest at 2.7p on 8 March.
The diesel gap was widest at 10.7p on 26 March, and narrowest at 3.9p on 5 March.
Supermarkets here are Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury's. The major brands are Esso, BP, Shell, Texaco and 5 more.
We leave out 4 days when a brand was missing, or a change in the mix of forecourts moved the gap.
Daily brand averages from our price data, each group weighted by its forecourts, not counting motorway services.
Prices by brand
Costco had the cheapest petrol of these brands, at 132.8p. Gleaner had the dearest, at 149.1p.
Costco had the cheapest diesel of these brands, at 150.5p. Gleaner had the dearest, at 168.7p.
| Brand | Petrol (E10) | Diesel (B7) |
|---|---|---|
| Costco | 132.8p | 150.5p |
| Sainsbury's | 139.0p | 157.9p |
| Tesco | 139.1p | 157.3p |
| Co-op | 139.1p | 157.2p |
| Morrisons | 139.3p | 158.8p |
| Maxol | 140.1p | 160.6p |
| Asda | 140.2p | 160.8p |
| Circle K | 140.3p | 160.0p |
| Essar | 140.6p | 160.2p |
| Solo | 140.7p | 162.9p |
| Emo | 140.8p | 163.2p |
| TotalEnergies | 141.4p | 161.7p |
| JET | 141.7p | 161.6p |
| Pace | 142.4p | 162.9p |
| EG On The Move | 142.6p | 163.2p |
| Texaco | 142.7p | 164.1p |
| Murco | 142.7p | 162.5p |
| Gulf | 142.7p | 163.6p |
| Valero | 143.0p | 162.9p |
| Esso | 143.3p | 163.5p |
| BP | 144.4p | 165.4p |
| Shell | 145.9p | 167.2p |
| Highland Fuels | 145.9p | 166.2p |
| Applegreen | 146.2p | 163.8p |
| Spar | 146.5p | 163.1p |
| Gleaner | 149.1p | 168.7p |
Each brand's daily average from our price data, at its forecourts away from motorway services, averaged over the month.
Prices by region
Petrol was cheapest in Northern Ireland, at 139.9p, and dearest in the South East, at 144.3p.
Diesel was cheapest in Northern Ireland, at 160.4p, and dearest in Scotland, at 164.5p.
| Region | Petrol (E10) | Against UK | Diesel (B7) | Against UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 139.9p | −3.4p | 160.4p | −3.0p |
| North East | 142.0p | −1.3p | 162.7p | −0.7p |
| Wales | 142.1p | −1.2p | 162.2p | −1.2p |
| Yorkshire | 142.3p | −1.0p | 162.9p | −0.5p |
| North West | 143.2p | −0.1p | 163.6p | +0.2p |
| West Midlands | 143.2p | −0.1p | 163.2p | −0.2p |
| London | 143.6p | +0.3p | 163.7p | +0.3p |
| South West | 143.7p | +0.4p | 163.6p | +0.2p |
| East of England | 143.8p | +0.5p | 163.6p | +0.2p |
| East Midlands | 143.8p | +0.5p | 163.5p | +0.1p |
| Scotland | 144.0p | +0.7p | 164.5p | +1.1p |
| South East | 144.3p | +1.0p | 164.1p | +0.7p |
Regions follow postcodes, so a forecourt counts in the region its postcode is in. London is Greater London.
Each region's daily average from our price data, averaged over the month.
Gaps between fuels
Diesel cost 20.1p a litre more than petrol on average in March.
On average, super unleaded (E5) cost 17.3p more than petrol (E10), and premium diesel cost 19.5p more than standard diesel.
Worked out from the month's UK averages in our price data.
What changed in March
On 1 March, HMRC's quarterly review of its advisory fuel rates for company cars left the petrol and diesel rates as they were.[1] They stayed at 12p to 22p a mile for petrol, and 12p to 18p for diesel.[1]
The last twelve months
| Month | Petrol (E10) | Diesel (B7) |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 143.3p | 163.4p |
Common questions about fuel prices in March
What was the average price of petrol in March 2026?
Petrol (E10) averaged 143.3p a litre in March 2026, from our daily UK averages. Super unleaded (E5) averaged 160.6p.
Did fuel prices go up or down in March 2026?
Petrol rose 20.6p through the month, from 133.1p on 1 March to 153.7p on 31 March. Diesel rose 41.2p through the month, from 142.7p on 1 March to 183.9p on 31 March.
What was the cheapest day to buy diesel in March 2026?
The UK average for diesel was lowest on 1 March, at 142.7p a litre. It was highest on 31 March, at 183.9p.
How we work it out, and how to cite it
Our figures come from the UK Government's Fuel Finder scheme, which we check every 15 minutes.
Each day's UK average is over every forecourt's price at the end of that day in our price data. We count prices reported in the last 30 days.
We leave out prices far from what the rest of the UK charged that day. The month's figure is the average of its daily figures.
To cite this report: Forecourt Prices, "UK fuel prices in March 2026", https://forecourtprices.co.uk/articles/uk-fuel-prices-march-2026
- GOV.UK (HMRC): Advisory fuel rates, checked 16 October 2026.