UK diesel price reaches record 199.18 pence a litre

The average price of diesel in the United Kingdom reached 199.18 pence a litre on Monday, 28 September, according to the motoring organisation RAC. That passed the previous record of 199.09p set in June 2022. RAC estimates that filling an average family car now costs almost £110, roughly £31 more than when the US-Iran conflict began in late February.

The rise affects more than household driving. Diesel powers many delivery vans, lorries and agricultural vehicles, so businesses may face higher transport and operating costs. RAC warned that some of those costs could reach consumers through the prices of goods and services. Its data put the average unleaded petrol price at 174.13p a litre on Monday; that is a separate figure and not the diesel record.

Reuters linked the pressure on fuel prices to disruptions caused by the war and wider constraints on diesel supply. Pump prices can move daily, and the figure is a UK average rather than the price at every filling station. RAC said a sustained fall in oil prices, rather than a brief dip, would be needed to ease the burden on drivers.