Cost of petrol, diesel and heating oil: What the latest figures show

A range of data measuring the rising price of petrol, diesel and heating oil shows the impact of the disruption to supplies caused by the Iran conflict.

Here the Press Association runs through the latest available figures:

– Petrol and diesel

The average pump price of a litre of unleaded petrol in the UK stood at 148.8p on Monday March 30, up 4.6p week on week and a jump of 16.6p, or 13%, since March 2, according to figures published by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ).

This is the highest price for unleaded petrol since May 2024.

The Iran conflict began on February 28.

The figures are compiled by DENSZ as part of a weekly fuel price survey that covers around 60% of the total market volume sold.

Estimates of the average price of fuel are calculated on the Monday of every week.

Unleaded petrol reached a peak of 191.6p per litre in July 2022, a few months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The survey also suggests the average price of a litre of diesel stood at 176.5p on Monday March 30, up 9.6p week on week and an increase of 34.4p, or 24%, since March 2.

It is the highest price for diesel since December 2022.

Diesel peaked at 199.2p per litre in July 2022.

Separate estimates of the average price of petrol and diesel are published by the RAC.

These are updated daily and are based on wholesale prices and pump prices, including the UK’s four largest supermarkets (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons) plus other brands.

The RAC’s figure for the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol as of Tuesday March 31 is 152.8p, an increase of 20p since the Iran conflict began.

Average diesel prices on Tuesday stood at 182.8p per litre, up 40p since the start of the conflict on February 28.

This means it costs £100.52 to fill a 55-litre family car, breaching the £100 mark for the first time since December 2022.

– Cumulative extra spending on petrol and diesel

Motoring research charity the RAC Foundation estimates the increase in road fuel prices have led to motorists paying a cumulative additional £544 million for petrol and diesel since the start of the conflict.

This consists of £409 million for diesel and £135 million for petrol.

The figures estimate how much extra the rise in pump prices has cost UK drivers in total, compared with what would have been spent on petrol and diesel had prices remained at the same level they were on February 27.

The data is based on average daily pump price rises and last year’s fuel consumption rate.

– Heating oil

The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero publishes monthly figures on the average price of heating oil.

The latest figures, released on Tuesday, show the average price per litre of standard grade burning oil stood at 104.1p in March.

This is nearly double the average in February (53.5p) and the highest monthly figure since official data began in January 1989.

The previous peak was in June 2022, when the figure reached 99.3p.

The average price per litre of gas oil stood at 99.5p in March, up 51% from 66.0p in February and the highest monthly figure since November 2022, when it reached 128.1p.

Gas oil is typically used for commercial and agricultural heating systems, while standard grade burning oil – most commonly kerosene – is used in central heating systems in homes.