Diesel falls back below £2 a litre as reserve release reaches pumps

The average price of diesel across UK petrol stations has fallen back below £2 a litre, FindPetrol data shows, after the sharpest diesel squeeze since the energy crisis began to ease.

As of 31 October 2026, the UK average stands at 198.6p a litre, with the cheapest diesel in the country at 161.9p. That 37p spread between the cheapest and dearest stations is the widest of any fuel we track, and it is worth more than any expected move in the national average this month: comparing diesel prices near you saves more than waiting for the trend.

Why diesel went over £2

Diesel spent October at record levels. The previous all-time high of 199.09p, set in June 2022, was beaten earlier in the month at 199.18p, and the average then crossed £2 at 200.01p, the first time the fuel had ever done so.

Two supply shocks pushed it there. Fawley refinery, Britain's largest, shut for maintenance expected to last up to ten weeks, tightening the UK's own diesel output, and the United States floated restrictions on diesel exports, threatening the balance of the world market at the moment Europe most needed imports. The Treasury told the Budget that diesel had risen 41% between February and October.

What changed

The G7 agreed to release 100 million barrels from strategic reserves, with diesel prioritised in the first tranche. Wholesale diesel prices have fallen 6p to 8p a litre since the release began, and economists quoted in the days after the announcement expected 5p to 6p of that to reach the pump over the following weeks, in line with the usual lag between wholesale and retail prices.

Crude oil itself remains historically expensive: Brent has traded close to $100 a barrel for much of the autumn, which you can see on our fuel price trends page. Our UK fuel price index publishes the full national and regional picture every week, and each edition downloads as a CSV.

What to watch

The relief at the pump should build rather than reverse, but two risks remain. Fawley's return will set how much UK refining capacity comes back, and any further escalation affecting Middle East refining would land on the same tight diesel market. Winter demand also pulls diesel into heating and haulage at the same time.

Fuel duty, frozen at 52.95p a litre in this week's Budget until July 2027, is one cost drivers will not have to worry about in the meantime: read our full report on the fuel duty freeze extended to July 2027.

About these figures: FindPetrol collects pump prices from UK petrol stations under the CMA's open fuel price scheme. Site-wide averages quoted here cover every station with a live price report and refresh throughout the day. Wholesale and reserve-release figures are as reported in the trade press during October 2026. Journalists are welcome to quote these figures with a link to findpetrol.co.uk.