Consumers will get greater choice over where to fill up with the launch of a new service that provides real time petrol prices for their local area.
The ‘fuel finder’ open data scheme displays the very latest petrol and diesel prices, but puts the pressure on retailers to co-operate. The aim of the service is to take away the ‘forecourt lottery’ allowing drivers the chance to compare prices for filling stations and bring greater competition to a market that has hit consumers hard in recent years. The scheme was created following a market study by the Competition and Markets Authority, and is available via a website and app, and can be integrated within satnav technology.
Supplying the data to the service is mandatory for forecourts, which must report any alterations to their fuel prices within 30 minutes. Being able to fill up at the cheapest price could help save consumers and fleets significant amounts over the course of a year.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “We hope this is the start of the journey to cheaper fuel prices around the UK. The Government has set up this scheme with the intention of increasing competition among retailers to give drivers better value at the pumps.
“As a growing number of the country’s 8,300 forecourts submit their prices on a daily basis, drivers will be able to easily find the cheapest forecourts near them using their favoured app or sat-nav.”
Matthew Walters, head of consultancy and customer value at fleet management company Ayvens, also welcomed the fuel finder launch, calling it a “positive step for fleet-operating businesses”.
“While the headline saving of £40 a year may resonate with households, for fleets refuelling at scale the potential savings are significantly higher when even small pence-per-litre differences are multiplied across thousands of miles and vehicles”, said Walters.
