UK fuel price report: August 2026
By Matt Burnett ·
Unleaded averaged 161.5p a litre across August 2026, and rose over the month — from 160.4p on the 1st to 161.8p at the end, a change of 1.3p.
- Unleaded average
- 161.5p
- Diesel average
- 182.2p
- Cheapest day for unleaded
- 1 August
- 160.4p average
- Dearest day for unleaded
- 28 August
- 161.9p average
The month day by day
- Unleaded (E10)
- Diesel (B7)
Show the figures
| Date | Unleaded (E10) | Diesel (B7) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 August 2026 | 160.4p | 179.7p |
| 2 August 2026 | 160.8p | 180.2p |
| 3 August 2026 | 161.1p | 180.7p |
| 4 August 2026 | 161.4p | 181.5p |
| 5 August 2026 | 161.6p | 181.7p |
| 6 August 2026 | 161.5p | 181.5p |
| 7 August 2026 | 161.7p | 181.8p |
| 8 August 2026 | 161.7p | 181.9p |
| 9 August 2026 | 161.7p | 181.9p |
| 10 August 2026 | 161.6p | 181.9p |
| 11 August 2026 | 161.5p | 181.9p |
| 12 August 2026 | 161.3p | 182.1p |
| 13 August 2026 | 161.3p | 181.9p |
| 14 August 2026 | 161.3p | 182.1p |
| 15 August 2026 | 161.2p | 181.9p |
| 16 August 2026 | 161.2p | 181.9p |
| 17 August 2026 | 161.2p | 181.9p |
| 18 August 2026 | 161.1p | 182.1p |
| 19 August 2026 | 161.3p | 182.2p |
| 20 August 2026 | 161.5p | 182.6p |
| 21 August 2026 | 161.6p | 182.8p |
| 22 August 2026 | 161.4p | 182.7p |
| 23 August 2026 | 161.4p | 182.7p |
| 24 August 2026 | 161.8p | 183.1p |
| 25 August 2026 | 161.6p | 183.2p |
| 26 August 2026 | 161.6p | 183.3p |
| 27 August 2026 | 161.7p | 183.4p |
| 28 August 2026 | 161.9p | 183.6p |
| 29 August 2026 | 161.8p | 183.6p |
| 30 August 2026 | 161.8p | 183.6p |
| 31 August 2026 | 161.8p | 183.5p |
The month in figures
| Fuel | Month average | Start | End | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unleaded (E10) | 161.5p | 160.4p | 161.8p | +1.3p |
| Diesel (B7) | 182.2p | 179.7p | 183.5p | +3.8p |
Averaged across 31 days of August 2026, each day weighted once. Daily figures are the mean of that day’s price readings for that fuel, with readings too far from the day’s median to be real left out.
Cheapest and dearest days
The cheapest day to fill up was 1 August, when unleaded averaged 160.4p. The dearest was 28 August at 161.9p — a difference of 1.5p a litre between the best and worst day of the month, or about £0.76 on a 50-litre fill.
Where prices sit now
As things stand today, eight forecourts in ten price within these bands. The very cheapest and dearest sites sit outside them, and so do the occasional misreported figures.
- Unleaded (E10): 168.9p to 178.9p, median 173.9p
- Diesel (B7): 194.7p to 203.9p, median 199.9p
Frequently Asked Questions
What did petrol cost in August 2026?
Unleaded averaged 161.5p a litre across the UK in August 2026, starting the month at 160.4p and ending at 161.8p.
Did fuel prices rise or fall in August 2026?
Unleaded rose through August 2026, a change of 1.3p a litre between the first and last day.
How are these monthly averages worked out?
From daily national averages, each the mean of the price readings recorded that day (one per forecourt, plus one each time a forecourt changed its price) with readings too far from that day's median to be real left out, with each day weighted once. Days with too few readings are excluded rather than averaged in, and the daily cheapest and dearest individual sites are ignored entirely, because a single misreported price moves an extreme far more than it moves an average.
How this is measured
Every figure here comes from prices this site collected from the Government’s Fuel Finder scheme. Each day’s national average is the mean of the price readings recorded that day (one per forecourt, plus one each time a forecourt changed its price), with readings too far from that day’s median to be real left out. We use daily averages rather than the cheapest and dearest individual forecourts, because retailers occasionally report an implausible price and a single bad row moves an extreme far more than it moves an average. Days with thin coverage are excluded rather than averaged in.
These are national figures and no one pays the national average. What you pay depends on the forecourts near you, which is what the town pages are for, and how far apart the cheapest and dearest of them are — covered in how much fuel prices vary between stations.
More monthly reports
Prices on this page were read . They refresh on their own; the analysis around them is dated at the top.