The government has announced that, from Thursday 8 October, drivers will be able to view real-time petrol and diesel prices to help them save on fuel.
The Fuel Finder scheme means that drivers can now check local fuel prices through Google Maps, which is used by 77% of Britain’s adult population for general navigation, according to Ofcom.
This scheme comes at a time when the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to a steep incline in fuel prices, with the price of diesel recently topping £2 per litre for the first time. This scheme was created following a recommendation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero claiming that the opportunity to compare prices could save households who own a car around £40 a year.
Since February, it has been compulsory for petrol stations across the UK to report the price of their fuel within 30 minutes of it changing or risk a fine - with the CMA acting when there is evidence that petrol stations are not complying with the law. Currently, around 99% of all fuel sold on UK roads is reported, with the data already being used by thousands of drivers across apps such as Waze, Petrol Prices, the AA, Confused.com and RAC Fuel Watch.
Minister for Energy Consumers, Polly Billington, said that is one of the steps towards tackling the affordability crisis, while Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, said that the UK is not powerless despite geopolitical events, with small changes like this helping to give families some breathing space.
Sarah-Jayne Williams, Director of Global Product Partnerships for Geo at Google, said that integrating Fuel Finder data into Google Maps and Waze helps drivers make intentional choices to extend their budgets over winter, and Edmund King, president of the AA, hoping that pump-price transparency will encourage more competitive prices from retailers.
However, some experts say that Fuel Finder is not always reliable, with Clare Lafferty, director at PetrolPrices, saying that they currently have to supplement the feed with other data sources because it does not yet provide a high enough level of coverage and accuracy to be reliable.