Overview
- Chancellor Rachel Reeves will present the Autumn Budget on November 26, with analysts expecting fuel duty changes to plug falling receipts and floating price‑per‑mile road pricing as a longer‑term option, with one estimate pointing to a £2.7 billion gap.
- A temporary 5p‑per‑litre cut introduced in 2022 is scheduled to expire on March 22, 2026, and fuel duty has otherwise been frozen since 2011.
- If the 5p cut ends and the freeze lifts, the duty rate is expected to rise with inflation, which could increase petrol and diesel prices.
- The government’s Fuel Finder scheme will require retailers to publish real‑time prices and fuel availability, with modelling suggesting savings of 1–6p per litre once live.
- Experts advise topping up at cheaper forecourts, noting supermarket averages around 132p for unleaded versus higher national averages, while motorway sites charge more than 23p above the UK average, with typical prices of 158.2p for petrol and 168.11p for diesel.