UK Diesel Price Record: How 2026 Compares With 2022
By Jacky A. · Published 27 Oct 2026 · Figures updated 2 Nov 2026
In brief
The UK average price of diesel reached 200.0p in the government's weekly figures for 12 Oct 2026, above the previous record of 199.2p set on 4 Jul 2022. The latest figure, for 2 Nov 2026, is 198.6p, 1.46p below the peak.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published the average UK pump price of petrol and diesel every week since June 2003. It is the series used by the press and by the government itself when a record is announced. This page reads it directly, so the dates and amounts below change if the series is revised or a new record is set.
When the record fell
Diesel's previous peak, 199.2p, dated from 4 Jul 2022. It was first passed in the week of 5 Oct 2026, and the new high of 200.0p came in the week of 12 Oct 2026. The latest week is back below the old record, 0.64p under it.
A year before the record, in the week of 13 Oct 2025, diesel cost 143.0p. The rise since then is 57.0p a litre, or £28.52 on a 50 litre tank.
Diesel against petrol
In the record week diesel cost 24.8p more than unleaded (175.3p). At the previous peak, in the week of 4 Jul 2022, the gap was 7.7p, with unleaded at 191.6p. Unleaded's own record is still 191.6p, from 4 Jul 2022, so the latest unleaded price is 18.8p below it. A diesel record without a petrol one points to the cost of diesel itself, which trades separately from petrol on the wholesale market and depends more on imports and on demand from haulage and industry.
How much of the record is tax
Of the 200.0p in the record week, 52.95p was fuel duty and 33.3p VAT, leaving 113.8p for the fuel, its delivery and the margins of refiners and retailers. At the previous peak that last part was 113.1p, with duty at 52.95p. Duty was the same at both peaks, so the whole difference comes from the cost of the fuel and the margins. The detail of duty and VAT since 2003 is on the fuel duty page.
- Diesel
- Unleaded
Source: Weekly road fuel prices, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The daily view
The weekly series is a Monday snapshot. Our own daily average from every station in the Fuel Finder feed gave 199.5p for diesel on the same day, a figure computed from a different set of stations and a different method, which is why the two do not match to the penny. It is on the fuel price trends page, with every town's own series, and the long history is on the petrol price history page. To find the cheapest diesel near you today, use cheapest near me.