Diesel hits all-time UK record as average price passes £1.99 a litre
Diesel smashed its 2022 record on Sunday, averaging 199.3p a litre with more than 220 Scottish forecourts already past £2 — as business leaders urge ministers to scrap any planned fuel duty rise and emergency diesel stocks sit at 42 days.
Diesel has hit an all-time record high in the UK, with the average price at the pumps rising to 199.3p a litre on Sunday — surpassing the previous 199.09p record set in 2022, The Times reported.
PetrolPrices.com put the new record at 199.11p, while the RAC said the average stood at 198.32p and “will almost certainly be surpassed over the weekend” as retailers pass on higher wholesale costs. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said a 55-litre diesel fill-up now costs about £109, and petrol averaged 173.6p — its highest in more than four years.
More than 220 sites in Scotland were already charging over £2 a litre, BBC analysis found, with some island communities paying as much as 238.8p, The Times reported. Scottish business leaders have urged ministers to scrap any planned further rise in fuel duty.
The surge is driven by oil at $106 a barrel and the US-Iran conflict, with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz choking supply, The Times and the RAC reported. Emergency diesel stockpiles have fallen to 42 days after refinery closures including Grangemouth, and President Trump is understood to be considering a ban on US diesel exports — a move that would hit Britain hard as the US is its biggest supplier.
Separately, contingency plans for fuel rationing and a temporary 50mph limit — drawn up by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and reported in March — remain on the shelf. None of the measures has been activated.
Sources
- The Times (28 Sept 2026) — “Scrap 5p duty rise as diesel tops £2 a litre, business urges”: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/scrape-5p-fuel-duty-rise-diesel-n8n95wgwk
- RAC via Taxi-Point (27 Sept 2026) — “Diesel prices near record high as RAC warns 55-litre fill-up could cost £109”: https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/diesel-prices-near-record-high-as-rac-warns-55-litre-fill-up-could-cost-109
- PetrolPrices.com (26 Sept 2026) — “UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High At 199.11 Pence Per Litre”: https://www.petrolprices.com/news/uk-diesel-prices-hit-record-high/
- RAC via Motor Trade News (23 Sept 2026) — “Diesel prices getting closer to all-time high, warns RAC”: https://www.motortradenews.com/news/diesel-prices-getting-closer-to-all-time-high-warns-rac/
- Edinburgh Live / BBC Radio 4 Moneybox (27 Sept 2026) — “Energy expert tells BBC R4 Moneybox of diesel situation for UK drivers”: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/energy-expert-tells-bbc-r4-34678412
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