Almost 300 petrol stations already charging £2 a litre for diesel – here’s how to find the cheapest pumps today

DRIVERSS are facing a fresh nightmare at the pumps as nearly 300 petrol stations push the price of diesel to £2 a litre or more. New figures from the government’s fuel finder tool reveal 284 forecourts are already selling diesel for over £2 a litre, while another 125 are charging exactly 199.9p in an attempt to avoid crossing the symbolic threshold. Motorists are now being urged to check prices in their local area before filling up, as costs vary wildly across the country. The pain for drivers is only set to worsen, with analysts warning UK diesel prices could hit a record-breaking £2.30 a litre by Christmas if the war in Iran continues to disrupt global supplies. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! The RAC says the average price of diesel across all UK forecourts has already reached 193.85p a litre, the highest level since the Middle East conflict first sent fuel costs soaring. Unleaded petrol has also been dragged up to 171.27p a litre, with both fuels surging by 10p a litre since the beginning of this month alone. Average diesel prices now stand just 5p below the all-time high of 199p a litre recorded in 2022, and the RAC has warned that this record could be broken within a week if prices keep rising at their current pace. The devastating hikes are being driven by a 12% surge in wholesale diesel costs this month, triggered by escalating turmoil across the Middle East. Supply chains took a massive hit when Saudi Arabia was forced to suspend its crucial East-West pipeline, a 1,200-kilometre route that allows oil to be transported without passing through the dangerous Strait of Hormuz. Experts fear the vital pipeline could remain closed for weeks and warn it may be targeted again, choking off global oil supplies. Most read in Money Alan Gelder, an analyst from Wood Mackenzie, warned that if the war in Iran continues and Ukraine maintains its attacks on Russian refineries, factory-gate diesel prices will surge to 65 per cent above their August average. He said: “This would imply UK retail diesel prices over £2.30 per litre. This is considerably higher than the prior record of £1.99 per litre.” He added: “There doesn’t seem to be any particular resolution to either of these conflicts in sight, which just means it’s just going to drive prices higher.” Retailers now have very little scope left to cushion the impact for struggling motorists. Because diesel profit margins are already below their six-month average, rising wholesale costs are being passed directly on to drivers at the till. Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, warned that the surging cost of diesel would hit businesses incredibly hard. He cautioned that firms relying on vans and lorries to move goods could be forced to pass their extra transport costs directly on to shoppers on the high street. Williams has called on Chancellor John Healey to act in the upcoming Budget to protect drivers, saying “nothing should be off the table” when it comes to scrapping planned fuel duty rises or cutting VAT on fuel. You can use our interactive tool to help you find the cheapest petrol stations in your area below. Comment now