UK fuel prices in May 2026
Petrol averaged 158.2p a litre in May 2026 and diesel 186.1p, with the daily highs and lows, brands and regions.
The month in brief
Petrol (E10) averaged 158.2p a litre in May 2026, and diesel (B7) averaged 186.1p.
Petrol rose 2.0p through the month, from 157.1p on 1 May to 159.1p on 31 May. Diesel fell 5.2p, from 188.5p on 1 May to 183.3p on 31 May.
Against April, petrol was 1.0p a litre dearer and diesel 3.8p cheaper.
Daily UK averages from our price data, across about 6,500 forecourts a day with a petrol price.
The month in figures
| Fuel | Average | 1 May | 31 May | In the month | Highest | Lowest | Against April |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol (E10) | 158.2p | 157.1p | 159.1p | up 2.0p | 159.3p on 28 May | 157.1p on 2 May | up 1.0p |
| Super unleaded (E5) | 174.9p | 173.4p | 175.9p | up 2.5p | 175.9p on 31 May | 173.4p on 2 May | up 1.3p |
| Diesel (B7) | 186.1p | 188.5p | 183.3p | down 5.2p | 188.5p on 4 May | 183.3p on 31 May | down 3.8p |
| Premium diesel | 204.8p | 207.5p | 201.4p | down 6.1p | 207.5p on 4 May | 201.4p on 31 May | down 2.4p |
Single forecourt prices ran from 123.9p to 197.9p a litre for petrol, and from 139.9p to 230.4p 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 May 2026, in pence a litre.
- Petrol was highest at 159.3p on 28 May, and lowest at 157.1p on 2 May.
- Diesel was highest at 188.5p on 4 May, and lowest at 183.3p on 31 May.
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 £87.01 with petrol and £102.36 with diesel.
That was 55p more than in April for petrol, and £2.09 less for diesel.
A gallon cost £7.19 for petrol and £8.46 for diesel, at 4.54609 litres a gallon.
Supermarkets and other forecourts
Supermarket petrol averaged 3.4p a litre less than petrol at the major brands in May, and supermarket diesel 3.1p less.
The petrol gap was widest at 3.9p on 7 May, and narrowest at 3.1p on 29 May.
The diesel gap was widest at 3.6p on 31 May, and narrowest at 2.4p on 13 May.
In April, the gap averaged 2.7p for petrol and 2.9p for diesel.
Supermarkets here are Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury's. The major brands are Esso, BP, Shell, Texaco and 6 more.
Daily brand averages from our price data, each group weighted by its forecourts, not counting motorway services.
Prices by brand
Go had the cheapest petrol of these brands, at 150.2p. Highland Fuels had the dearest, at 163.3p.
Go had the cheapest diesel of these brands, at 174.3p. Gleaner had the dearest, at 189.5p.
| Brand | Petrol (E10) | Against April | Diesel (B7) | Against April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | 150.2p | 174.3p | ||
| Costco | 151.1p | up 0.9p | 179.6p | down 2.5p |
| Maxol | 153.7p | up 1.6p | 175.4p | down 7.1p |
| Solo | 154.2p | up 2.7p | 175.3p | down 9.1p |
| Asda | 154.6p | about the same | 183.9p | down 3.7p |
| Sainsbury's | 155.2p | about the same | 184.1p | down 3.6p |
| Tesco | 155.2p | up 0.6p | 183.8p | down 3.5p |
| Co-op | 155.3p | up 0.9p | 186.6p | about the same |
| Morrisons | 155.5p | up 0.7p | 183.2p | down 4.7p |
| Emo | 155.8p | up 3.8p | 176.4p | down 6.5p |
| Applegreen | 156.0p | down 1.2p | 185.1p | down 3.4p |
| Circle K | 156.1p | up 3.9p | 176.8p | down 6.4p |
| EG On The Move | 156.2p | about the same | 187.8p | down 1.0p |
| TotalEnergies | 156.4p | up 1.2p | 185.2p | down 3.2p |
| Essar | 157.3p | up 1.9p | 184.9p | down 2.4p |
| JET | 157.3p | up 1.3p | 185.3p | down 3.3p |
| Texaco | 157.4p | up 1.4p | 184.9p | down 3.7p |
| Murco | 158.0p | up 2.0p | 186.3p | down 2.1p |
| Spar | 158.1p | about the same | 184.4p | down 4.6p |
| Valero | 158.4p | up 1.9p | 185.6p | down 2.8p |
| Gulf | 158.5p | up 2.0p | 186.6p | down 2.9p |
| Esso | 158.9p | up 0.7p | 187.8p | down 3.8p |
| Shell | 158.9p | up 1.1p | 187.4p | down 4.0p |
| BP | 159.5p | up 1.1p | 187.8p | down 3.5p |
| Pace | 160.5p | up 2.6p | 187.1p | down 3.7p |
| Gleaner | 162.9p | up 3.6p | 189.5p | down 2.8p |
| Highland Fuels | 163.3p | up 3.5p | 187.5p | down 5.2p |
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 153.8p, and dearest in Scotland, at 160.2p.
Diesel was cheapest in Northern Ireland, at 175.4p, and dearest in the South East, at 188.2p.
| Region | Petrol (E10) | Against UK | Diesel (B7) | Against UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 153.8p | −4.4p | 175.4p | −10.7p |
| North East | 156.9p | −1.3p | 185.7p | −0.4p |
| Yorkshire | 157.1p | −1.1p | 185.8p | −0.3p |
| North West | 157.6p | −0.6p | 186.0p | −0.1p |
| Wales | 157.7p | −0.5p | 185.3p | −0.8p |
| East Midlands | 158.4p | +0.2p | 186.8p | +0.7p |
| West Midlands | 158.5p | +0.3p | 187.0p | +0.9p |
| East of England | 158.7p | +0.5p | 186.9p | +0.8p |
| South West | 158.7p | +0.5p | 187.2p | +1.1p |
| London | 159.3p | +1.1p | 187.6p | +1.5p |
| South East | 159.3p | +1.1p | 188.2p | +2.1p |
| Scotland | 160.2p | +2.0p | 186.9p | +0.8p |
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 27.9p a litre more than petrol on average in May.
The gap was 4.8p narrower than in April.
On average, super unleaded (E5) cost 16.7p more than petrol (E10), and premium diesel cost 18.7p more than standard diesel.
Worked out from the month's UK averages in our price data.
The last twelve months
| Month | Petrol (E10) | Diesel (B7) |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 158.2p | 186.1p |
| April 2026 | 157.2p | 189.9p |
| March 2026 | 143.3p | 163.4p |
Common questions about fuel prices in May
What was the average price of petrol in May 2026?
Petrol (E10) averaged 158.2p a litre in May 2026, from our daily UK averages. Super unleaded (E5) averaged 174.9p.
Did fuel prices go up or down in May 2026?
Petrol rose 2.0p through the month, from 157.1p on 1 May to 159.1p on 31 May. Diesel fell 5.2p through the month, from 188.5p on 1 May to 183.3p on 31 May. Against April, petrol was 1.0p a litre dearer and diesel 3.8p cheaper.
What was the cheapest day to buy diesel in May 2026?
The UK average for diesel was lowest on 31 May, at 183.3p a litre. It was highest on 4 May, at 188.5p.
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 May 2026", https://forecourtprices.co.uk/articles/uk-fuel-prices-may-2026