CMA Publishes Latest Monitoring Report on Road Fuel Market

Why It Matters

Stable margins suggest price hikes stem from wholesale costs, not retailer profiteering, while the new data‑driven Fuel Finder tool could sharpen competition and deliver real savings for consumers and businesses alike.

Key Takeaways

• Retail fuel margins stayed around 10.5 p per litre in March.
• Petrol rose 26 p/L, diesel 50 p/L since February.
• Drivers can save up to £9 ($11.5) per tank by shopping around.
• CMA warned hundreds of forecourts to join Fuel Finder scheme.
• Margins remain historically high, indicating weak competition in market.

Pulse Analysis

The UK’s road‑fuel market has felt the ripple effects of the Middle East conflict, with wholesale oil costs pushing pump prices higher than seen in recent years. While petrol prices jumped roughly $0.33 per litre and diesel $0.64 per litre, the CMA’s latest monitoring report shows retailer margins hovering near 10.5 pence per litre – essentially unchanged from the previous month and comparable to 2025 levels. This stability suggests that the bulk of the price surge is being passed through from upstream suppliers rather than being captured as extra profit by forecourts.

A striking feature of the report is the pronounced local price variation across the country. Consumers who take advantage of price‑comparison tools can pocket up to £9 (approximately $11.5) per tank, a saving that becomes significant for fleet operators and frequent drivers. To harness this potential, the CMA has rolled out the Fuel Finder scheme, a mandatory data‑sharing platform that feeds real‑time pricing into third‑party apps and websites. Early adoption is already evident, but the regulator has issued warning letters to hundreds of stations that have yet to register, signalling a willingness to levy fines for non‑compliance.

The broader implication for the industry is a renewed focus on competition enforcement. Historically high margins, despite the price shock, point to lingering market power among a subset of retailers. By mandating transparent pricing data and monitoring margin trends, the CMA aims to tighten competitive pressure, which could force retailers to lower prices faster when wholesale costs fall. For businesses that depend on road transport, the outcome could be a more predictable fuel cost environment and an incentive to integrate price‑shopping tools into their expense‑management processes.