Is supermarket fuel cheaper?
Today’s prices at supermarket forecourts against every other kind, measured across every station reporting to the Government’s Fuel Finder scheme.
Yes, today. Supermarket unleaded has a median of 171.9p a litre, 3.0p less than the 174.9p at other forecourts off the motorway. Supermarket diesel has a median of 197.9p a litre, 2.0p less than the 199.9p at other forecourts off the motorway.
On a 50-litre fill of unleaded, the typical supermarket saves about £1.50 against the typical forecourt that isn’t one, and about £12.00 against motorway services.
Today’s prices by kind of forecourt
| Fuel | Supermarket | Other forecourts | Motorway services | Supermarket saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unleaded (E10) | 171.9p | 174.9p | 195.9p | 3.0p/litre |
| Diesel (B7) | 197.9p | 199.9p | 217.9p | 2.0p/litre |
| Super Unleaded (E5) | 185.6p | 194.9p | 214.9p | 9.3p/litre |
Median price per litre in each group, so half the forecourts in a group are cheaper and half dearer. Stale and implausible prices are left out of the medians; no price is altered.
How far the ranges overlap
A median is the typical forecourt, not every one. Eight in ten forecourts in each group price within these ranges:
- Unleaded (E10): supermarkets 166.9p–175.9p across 2,282 forecourts; other forecourts 169.9p–179.9p across 5,432.
- Diesel (B7): supermarkets 190.9p–199.9p across 2,286 forecourts; other forecourts 196.9p–203.9p across 5,540.
- Super Unleaded (E5): supermarkets 176.9p–192.9p across 1,574 forecourts; other forecourts 185.9p–200.9p across 4,477.
So a supermarket isn't automatically the cheapest place to fill up: the cheapest tenth of other forecourts sell unleaded at 169.9p or less, at or below the typical supermarket's 171.9p. The only way to know what’s cheapest where you are is to compare the forecourts near you, which is what the town pages do.
What counts as a supermarket
A forecourt counts as a supermarket when the Government’s Fuel Finder feed flags it as a supermarket service station, and as motorway services when the feed flags it as a motorway site; a supermarket forecourt at motorway services counts as motorway, because that is what sets its price. “Other forecourts” is everything else: oil-company brands, dealer-run sites and independents. The comparison is between these groups, not between individual supermarket chains or fuel brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is supermarket petrol cheaper than other petrol stations?
Supermarket unleaded has a median of 171.9p a litre, 3.0p less than the 174.9p at other forecourts off the motorway. Motorway services are the dearest of the three, at a median of 195.9p.
How much do you save filling up at a supermarket?
About £1.50 on a 50-litre fill of unleaded at today's median prices, though the cheapest forecourts that aren't supermarkets can match or beat them.
Are these prices up to date?
Yes. They are recalculated from the Government's Fuel Finder scheme, the same data retailers themselves report into, which this site reads about every 30 minutes.
See also fuel prices at motorway services, road by road, and the UK fuel price history.
Figures read .