How our fuel prices work
Know before you fill up. PumpScan brings together prices reported by retailers through the UK Government's Fuel Finder scheme. Prices are shown in pence per litre, with the fuel type and its reported update time.
Where the prices come from
We use the UK Fuel Finder scheme, not estimates or prices written by AI. PumpScan is a free, independent comparison service, not a government service. Our figures cover the forecourts with suitable reported prices in our data, not every forecourt in the UK.
How often we check
We check the source for updates every 30 minutes. A check does not mean that every retailer has submitted a new price. The time shown beside a fuel is its reported last price change, not the time PumpScan downloaded it or proof that the retailer checked the pump again. An unchanged price can have an older timestamp.
Each fuel has its own update time
Petrol and diesel at the same station can be updated on different days. We judge each fuel separately: an old petrol reading never hides that station's fresh diesel price. Dates and times are shown in UK local time.
Which prices enter comparisons?
- Under 3 days: fresh prices can appear in “cheapest” headlines, rankings and averages.
- 3–7 days: prices remain in rankings and averages, with an amber update label. They do not enter “cheapest” headlines.
- 7–14 days: prices are greyed out and marked “may be out of date”. They are excluded from rankings and averages.
- Over 14 days: prices are hidden from comparisons. You can still see the last reading on the station's own page, with a warning.
If there are no fresh readings for a fuel, we do not make a “cheapest” claim for it.
Check the pump before you buy
Prices can change between a retailer's update and your visit. A reported price is not a guarantee. Check the price at the pump and allow for any extra distance when deciding where to fill up.
Report a price that looks wrong
Email info@pumpscan.co.uk with the station name, postcode, fuel type and the date and time you saw the pump price. We can check the reported data; retailers supply the original prices.
Data licence
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Price data from the UK Fuel Finder scheme.