Petrol drops for third month in a row to near four-year low
Diesel now at its lowest since end of September 2021
Another 2p came off petrol in May making for three consecutive months of falling prices and the lowest average pump price in almost four years, data from RAC Fuel Watch reveals.*
Drivers are now paying the lowest price for petrol since early July 2021 while diesel – which also came down by 2p – has gone below 139p for the first time since 28 September 2021.
The cost of a litre of petrol reduced from 134p at the start of May to 132.3p by the close, while diesel dropped from 140.5p to 138.4p. The 2p-a-litre drop in both fuels means another £1 was shaved off the cost of filling a 55-litre family car last month. A full petrol fill-up is now £72.74 while diesel is £76.13. This means unleaded has come down by more than 7p since the end of February (139.65p) and diesel by 8p (146.5p), saving drivers around £4 a tank.
A litre of supermarket unleaded is now down to 129p and diesel to 135p, both 3p lower than the UK averages. In Northern Ireland however, the average price a driver pays for a litre of petrol is even lower at 126.5p – nearly 6p cheaper than the UK average. Diesel is 130.8p – nearly 8p cheaper than the average UK price.
Sainsbury’s Shorehead store at Southgate in Huddersfield currently has some of the lowest pump prices, with a litre of petrol just 121.9p. Asda’s forecourt on Western Road in Park Royal, London, is not far off at 122.7p, while Tesco is pricing at 123.9p less than three miles away at Western Avenue in Greenford.
The cheapest supermarket diesel on sale is at Sainsbury’s in Falls Road, Belfast, at 126.9p.* Asda is not far behind, offering diesel at 127.7p at two Northern Ireland locations – Coleraine and Cookstown, and at Breck Road in Liverpool. Sainsbury’s Southgate in Huddersfield is 129.9p.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “May was another good month at the pumps for drivers as petrol and diesel fell by 2p a litre, making for three straight months of falling prices.
“While this takes us back to prices last seen almost four years ago, it’s worth remembering that prices are lower today because the 5p duty cut, first introduced in March 2022, is still being applied. If it wasn’t for the fuel duty freeze, prices could well be much higher.
“For those prepared to shop around or use apps like myRAC, there are some excellent bargains to be had which can save several vital pounds on a full tank. It’s also worth pointing out that those filling up at Sainsbury’s in Southgate, Huddersfield, at 121.9p are saving the best part of £6 compared to the UK average of 132p a litre for petrol.
“Although prices have been moving downwards for the last three months, our analysis of wholesale costs shows there’s still plenty of room for retailers to do more. With oil averaging $64 a barrel throughout May, we believe the average price of petrol ought to be under 130p and diesel under 134p.
“Hopefully retailers will continue to reduce their prices, so we see four months of falling costs at the pumps at the end of June.
“Our advice to drivers is to download the free myRAC app and start using it to find the lowest priced fuel near them. The app lets you save your favourite filling stations and compares prices to the RAC Fuel Watch average.”
The online RAC Fuel Watch resource has more information about the average price of petrol and diesel at the big four supermarkets and at motorway services. It also features graphs showing average prices since 2000.
Ends
Notes to Editors
* UK average pump prices quoted are based on Competition and Markets Authority data from 1-31 May 2025
