UK petrol prices have reached a record high since the start of the Iran conflict in February 2023, averaging over 160p per litre according to the RAC. The price increase is due to the volatility of wholesale oil costs, which have surged to above $100 a barrel after peace talks collapsed. Petrol and diesel prices rose again after falling in early July when a framework deal was signed, but remain below their peak levels reached during Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Analysts say every $10 increase in oil price pushes up pump prices by roughly 7p per litre, contributing to the current high fuel costs for drivers.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
UK petrol prices have reached their highest level since the Iran war began on 28 February, with the average cost of petrol exceeding 160p per litre, according to the RAC. The surge in prices is due to the conflict's disruption of oil supplies across the Middle East and volatility in global wholesale oil prices. This has pushed up the price of a barrel of Brent crude, which in turn makes filling up a car more expensive for drivers. In fact, every $10 (£7.44) per barrel increase in the oil price is estimated to push up pump prices by around 7p a litre. The RAC's head of policy, Simon Williams, notes that this has pushed the cost of fully filling a diesel family car back over £100, something drivers hadn't had to endure since early June. The UK's reliance on oil and gas imports, with the majority coming from the US and Norway**, means it is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy markets. This has significant implications for drivers' finances, and experts warn that the impact of the war will continue to affect the global economy for potentially months to come.
Written for “UK Petrol Price Crisis” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article frames the conflict as a major disruptor to oil supplies and prices, using words like 'severely disrupted' and 'nosedived', which implies a strong negative impact on drivers' finances. Additionally, the quotes from Simon Williams and Luke Bosdet, while critical of current prices, do not explicitly criticize fuel retailers or the government's response to the crisis.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score +0.45 for article 300 · logged 2026-08-06
- Published
UK petrol prices have risen to their highest level since the beginning of the Iran war as the conflict continues to hit drivers' finances.
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conflict → publish → finances
The average cost of petrol has reached more than 160p per litre, according to motoring group the RAC.
uncertain
cost → reach → group
The price of fuel tends to track the wholesale price of oil, which surged when the Iran conflict began on 28 February.
asserted
conflict → tend → February
The fighting has severely disrupted oil supplies across the Middle East.
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fighting → disrupt → East
Prices then nosedived when US and Iran agreed to a framework deal to end the conflict in June, but they have risen again since the collapse of peace talks.
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they → nosedive → talks
How do wholesale oil prices affect the cost of petrol and diesel at the pump?
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prices → affect → pump
Crude oil is a key ingredient in petrol and diesel, which means that higher wholesale costs make filling up a car more expensive.
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filling → mean → car
Analysts say every $10 (£7.44) per barrel increase in the oil price pushes up pump prices by roughly 7p a litre.
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increase → say → 7p
Since the war began, the price of a barrel of Brent crude – the global benchmark for wholesale oil prices – has been very volatile.
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price → begin → prices
Generally speaking, news of further conflict drives the price up while hopes of an end to the war pushes the price down.
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hopes → speak → price
Before the conflict, Brent was about $70 a barrel, but the fighting saw it peak at above $120.
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it → see → 120
In early July, after the framework deal was signed, prices fell back to near the $70 a barrel mark.
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prices → sign → mark
When the peace talks collapsed, the price climbed back up again to above $100 a barrel, but are now around $80.
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price → collapse → 100
What has happened to petrol and diesel prices in the UK?
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What → happen → UK
While petrol has hit its highest price since the Iran war began, according to the RAC, diesel remains below the peak of 191.54p a litre it reached on 15 April.
uncertain
it → hit → April
In early July, the RAC said the average price of petrol sank to a low of 150.59p per litre and 164.52p per litre for diesel.
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price → say → diesel
Since then the prices have risen, with petrol now at 161.5p a litre while diesel costs 181.5p a litre.
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diesel → rise → 181.5p
RAC's head of policy Simon Williams said the price of fully filling a diesel family car was now £100 again, "something drivers haven't had to endure since early June".
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drivers → say → June
Williams said there was hope that prices at the pump could come back down, pending talks to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
uncertain
prices → say → Hormuz
Despite the conflict, petrol and diesel prices remain below the levels reached in the summer of 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when petrol reached 191.5p a litre and diesel hit 199p.
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diesel → remain → 199p
Because transporting oil is a slow process, price movements in the wholesale markets take about a fortnight to show at the pump.
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movements → transport → pump
Fuel retailers have denied accusations of price gouging during the conflict.
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retailers → deny → conflict
The official markets regulator said it had "not seen evidence of retailers actively changing their pricing strategies to take advantage of the crisis".
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retailers → say → crisis
A government scheme called Fuel Finder, external lets drivers compare the cost of fuel offered by petrol stations across the UK.
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drivers → call → UK
Luke Bosdet, the head of policy at the AA, said the group had been surprised at the speed that prices had fallen and put it down to the scheme.
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prices → say → scheme
On 20 May, the then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said a planned 5p increase in fuel duty due in September would be postponed until 31 December because of the conflict.
uncertain
increase → say → conflict
Why has the Iran war had a big impact on oil prices?
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war → have → prices
The Middle East conflict sent global oil prices soaring as it effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's key water transport routes for oil, liquid natural gas and other essential commodities — limiting global supplies.
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it → send → supplies
About 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the waterway.
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% → liquefy → waterway
Even if a deal is agreed to reopen the strait, experts warn it will take time before normal levels of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz resume, and the impact of the war will continue to affect the global economy for potentially months to come.
Where does the UK get its oil and gas?
The UK is heavily reliant on oil and gas imports, with the majority coming from the US and Norway.
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majority → agree → US
The price of oil on the global market determines how much the UK pays for it.
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UK → determine → it
Although the UK does get some oil from the North Sea, most of that is exported for refining elsewhere.
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most → get → refining
