What's happening to UK petrol and diesel prices?

Motorists in the UK have faced higher fuel costs since US-Israel war with Iran began, but motoring firm RAC says these are now starting to ease.

Fuel prices surged when the conflict began on 28 February, with the production and transportation of energy across the Middle East slowing or stopping entirely due to missile strikes and drone attacks.

Crude oil is a key ingredient in petrol and diesel, meaning higher wholesale costs make filling up a car more expensive.

Analysts say every $10 (£7.53) increase in the oil price pushes up pump prices by roughly 7p a litre.

Since the war began, the price of a barrel of Brent crude – the global benchmark for wholesale oil prices – has been very volatile, jumping from $73 to just below $120 at one point. In recent days, it has fallen back below the $100 mark but it still remains higher than pre-war levels.

The cost of filling a typical family car with petrol has gone up by around £14. A tank of diesel is around £27 more expensive.

RAC figures show average petrol and diesel prices started falling on 16 April after 46 days of increases – the longest run of consecutive rises on record.

The price of petrol peaked at 158.3p a litre and diesel reached 191.5p a litre, the RAC said.

On Monday, petrol was 157.7p, and diesel just below 190.5p, with the RAC expecting further falls.

Prices remain below the levels reached in summer 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when petrol reached 191.5p and diesel hit 199p a litre.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said "the drop ought to accelerate this week as more retailers buy in new supply at lower costs".

Because transporting oil is a slow process, price movements in the wholesale markets take about a fortnight to show at the pump.

Fuel retailers have denied accusations of price gouging during the conflict. The official markets regulator is investigating the issue.

For the wholesale markets, the most critical issue remains the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

About 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the waterway, but it has been effectively closed since the war began.

Analysis by BBC Verify shows that only a handful of ships have passed through the Strait during the temporary ceasefire – under normal circumstances, around 138 vessels make the crossing every day.

There has also been some diplomatic back-and-forth regarding its closure, with Iran stating the Strait is open and then going back on this.

The continued uncertainty means that oil prices are likely to remain above pre-war levels.

Additionally, oil and gas facilities have been damaged across the Gulf, badly disrupting refining capacity.

A new government scheme lets drivers compare the cost of fuel offered by petrol stations across the UK.

The UK is heavily reliant on oil and gas imports, with the majority coming from the US and Norway.

The price of oil on the global market determines how much the UK pays for it.

Although the UK does get some oil from the North Sea, most of that is exported for refining elsewhere.

In March, the boss of oil giant Shell warned that there could be a fuel shortage in Europe within weeks because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

His comments came after the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggested a number of measures to reduce energy and fuel use in response to the conflict, including working from home and carpooling.

Oil makes up 35% of the UK's total energy supply, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. As a member of the IEA, the UK must hold 90 days' worth of net oil imports, but currently has more than this.

Meanwhile, the IEA has said Europe has "maybe six weeks of jet fuel left".

Airlines UK, which represents the industry, said while it was not seeing disruption to UK jet fuel supply, it was talking to the government about "crucial measures" that would be needed to support the aviation industry in the event of fuel disruption.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the UK is not facing an immediate shortage of petrol, diesel, or jet fuel.

Some analysts said that restrictions on new drilling licences in the North Sea should be eased to limit price rises for households, but others argued this was unlikely to significantly reduce energy prices for the public.

In the short term, millions of UK householders' domestic gas and electricity bills are shielded from any impact on wholesale costs paid by suppliers.

People whose energy bills are covered by the price cap saw their unit costs fall in April, and those will not change until the end of June.

However, depending on whether peace talks are successful, bills could rise when the next price cap takes effect at the start of July.

Anyone who already has a fixed energy tariff won't see a price rise for the length of their contract. But some suppliers have been pulling cheaper fixed deals for new customers off the market.

Heating oil is used by many households in Northern Ireland, and in some rural areas. The cost of that fluctuates more directly in response to the oil price, so the latest global uncertainty has pushed up bills for those households refilling their tanks.

The government announced a £53m support package to help those affected.

Additional reporting by Emer Moreau, Kevin Peachey, and Dearbail Jordan

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