UK petrol prices have reached their highest point since November 2022 as 20 million motorists prepare for the busiest August bank holiday getaway on record.
The average price of unleaded fuel hit 161.6p a litre on Thursday. The price matches the highest level seen this summer, driven by conflict in the Middle East and ongoing volatility in global oil markets in 2026.
Diesel has also climbed to an average of 183.4p a litre, reaching a level not seen since early June.
Holiday traffic peaks
The price rises arrive on what has been termed Frantic Friday, the start of a bank holiday weekend expected to produce unprecedented traffic. Families making the most of the final long weekend before Christmas are projected to take 20 million car journeys between Friday and Monday.
The RAC said the figure is the highest since it began tracking summer bank holiday travel plans in 2015. The motoring organisation warned that major routes are likely to be mired in traffic.
The RAC predicts 4.1 million drivers will travel on Friday, 3.8 million on Saturday, 3.1 million on Sunday, and 3.4 million on Monday. A further 5.5 million journeys will be spread across the four days, with many motorists undecided on their exact travel times.
Fuel pricing disputes
Filling the 55 litre fuel tank of a typical family car will cost about £89 this weekend, compared to £74 during the August bank holiday last year.
The AA noted that the pain at the pumps comes two weeks after the Competition and Markets Authority accused the road fuel sector of a lack of effective competition. The UK watchdog said the continued use of passive pricing strategies by the majority of retailers was contributing to sustained high margins.
The AA said this criticism is clearly reflected in current forecourt prices.
Wholesale petrol prices rebounded to 68.5p a litre following an increase in oil prices since early August, though they remain below the peak of more than 72p a litre recorded in late April and early May.
Despite this, average pump prices this week are almost 2p a litre higher than the 159.7p recorded at the end of May, which followed the earlier spike in wholesale costs.
Regional price variations
Wholesale petrol prices briefly dropped by more than 10p a litre in late July and early August before renewed tensions involving the US and Iran sent costs rising sharply again. The AA said this dramatic wholesale drop shaved a paltry 0.4p a litre off the UK average pump price, which reached its summer high of 161.6p a litre during the weekend of August 7 to August 10.
Motorists can still find petrol for about 10p a litre less than the national average in areas where retailers compete aggressively, while forecourts only a few miles away charge significantly more.
In Chorlton-cum-Hardy, a leafy area about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre, local petrol stations show a 13p a litre price difference. In Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, a Texaco station was charging 9p a litre less for unleaded on Thursday than an Esso garage a few miles away.
In Keighley, Bradford, a Shell garage was charging 8p a litre more for petrol on Thursday than Asda, Gulf, Morrisons and a small independent station. In Haslingden, Lancashire, retailers are selling petrol at a local premium of 7p a litre.
Luke Bosdet, the AA fuel pricing expert, said the examples highlight the competition watchdog's stinging criticism. "In many ways, UK pump pricing is back to its worst: too often overpriced and uncompetitive, with too many communities denied road fuel at a reasonable price," he said.
"On the flipside, the means to beat this behaviour are now in place for those prepared to use fuel finder tools, such as the AA App, to locate forecourts offering fair prices."
Bosdet urged drivers to take advantage of new pump price transparency to spot cheaper stations in neighbouring towns or along their commute. "Current examples of towns where motorists can buy petrol and diesel at around 10p a litre, or £5 a tank cheaper than average, show that just one competitive forecourt can often pull down local fuel prices, including at nearby supermarkets," he said. "Drivers simply need to find them and use them."
Congestion hotspots
With day trippers competing for road space with holidaymakers on short breaks, the transport analytics firm Inrix has identified several likely congestion hotspots.
On the M25, delays of up to 50 minutes are expected on the anticlockwise carriageway from Junction 17 in Hertfordshire to Junction 12 in Surrey around midday on Saturday. On the clockwise route, delays of nearly an hour are predicted between Junction 15 in Buckinghamshire and Junction 19 in Hertfordshire on Saturday night.
The M1 southbound could see delays of up to 70 minutes from Junction 16 in Northamptonshire to Junction 6 in Hertfordshire at around 3pm on Sunday.
Motorists heading to the coast on the M5 face 75 minute delays southbound between Junction 15 near Bristol and Junction 23 in Somerset at noon on Saturday. On Monday, northbound traffic on the M5 faces 45 minute delays from Junction 25 at Taunton to the M4 Almondsbury interchange at 3.30pm, and further 45 minute delays from Junction 11 in Gloucestershire to Junction 1 in the West Midlands at around 7pm.
Recent motoring tests
Reviewers have also been testing a range of new vehicles reaching the UK market:
Electric Geely EX2 driven as China's best selling car lands in Britain.
Why Britain has fallen out of love with the Vauxhall Astra family car.
Lepas L8: Can another premium Chinese SUV stand out from the crowd?
Honda Prelude review: Can a two seat hybrid coupe really be exciting?
A British motorcycling icon returns: Norton back with its £20,000 Manx R.
Take a Bao: China's new Land Rover Defender rival is not cheap.
Fiat Topolino is a £9,000 EV with a 28mph top speed and range of 46 miles.
Other recent road tests include:
- Honda Super-N: Will the sub £19,000 EV take on the Renault 5?
- We drive the £90,000 Polestar 5: Is it better than Porsche's Taycan?
- The Jeep for an electric era: Daily Mail drives the Compass EV
- Volkswagen's T-Roc is on a roll as the second generation SUV builds on success
- Honda's first electric motorcycle could be a game changer for bikers
- The Temu Range Rover that seats seven: New £45,500 Jaecoo 8
- China's EV that charges in five minutes: £100,000 Denza Z9GT driven
- I've driven Jaguar's £120,000 electric car: Does it have iconic Jag DNA?
- Volvo EX60 is smart in more ways than one
- New BYD SUV is a wolf in sheep's clothing with Porsche like speed
- Porsche Cayenne Electric: A tipping point for too much power
- Can the original SUV still cut the mustard? New Toyota RAV4 tested
- The Renault Twingo is back: Much loved 90s icon returns as a tiny EV
- Aston Martin Valhalla driven: Is the hypercar worth its £1 million price tag?
- New Toyota C-HR+ is a polite reminder of Japan's car making prowess
- Changan Deepal S05: £38,000 electric SUV breaks into the UK market
- New BMW iX3 EV charges ahead by cracking first 500 mile range
- A hybrid SUV that goes the distance: Chinese Chery Tiggo 7 tested
- MG puts two cheap EV hatches on sale at the same time, which is best?
- BYD Sealion 5 DM-i: China's latest plug in hybrid has arrived for £30,000
- I've driven King Charles' new £140,000 Chinese electric hyper SUV
- Triumph's new Bonneville bikes merge classic looks with new tech
- Kia's EV5 review: Family electric SUV is here to conquer the UK market
- The rising Starray of SUVs that is really going places: EM-i tested
- Ineos Grenadier 2026 refresh: Is the 4x4 better to drive on the road?
- We drive the cheapest Tesla Model Y, the new £42,000 Standard SUV
- We take a ride in Jaguar's forthcoming all electric £140,000 four door GT
- Peugeot e-3008 Dual Motor: Is it worth paying £50,000 for a Peugeot EV?
- Has Labour killed off the pick up truck? We test three popular models
- Why the new £200,000 everyday Ferrari supercar is right on the button
- New Renault Clio driven: French supermini won't come to UK until 2027
- Just another electric SUV? How Citroen's new e-C5 Aircross stands out
- MG S6 EV is another premium electric family SUV
- Is Vauxhall's Frontera good value to challenge Chinese rivals?
- Alpine A390 is a sophisticated electric cruiser with sporty ambitions
- China's smash hit cheap electric G-Wagon: £22,000 ICaur V23 driven
- Geely's electric EX5 would be a gem if it wasn't such a control freak
- Volvo ES90: Is this luxury electric saloon better than an EV SUV?
- New Nissan Leaf driven: Mk3 version of the first mass market EV
- Is this the best seven seater on sale? Hyundai's Santa Fe review
- It it more than just a tribute act? Nissan's all electric Micra driven
- Volvo's gone from sensible to cool: XC90 and EX30 Cross Country driven
- Aston Martin DBX S driven: Our review of the school run super SUV
- MG launches new affordable IM5 and IM6 EVs
- The Genesis electric limo that got Ray Massey to the church on time
- Omoda 9 SHS plug in hybrid review: We drive it through nine countries
- Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is so good James Bond would be shaken
- Buckle up for a chat with the new AI backed electric Mercedes-Benz CLA
- Vauxhall Grandland test: It's always a Grand day out in this roomy SUV
- Mini Aceman JCW EV packs plenty of poke but is it too much power?
- Is life a beach with the Renault 4 or another EV wipeout? We drive it
- Britain's best selling car has gone electric: Ford Puma Gen-E review
- MG S5 EV driven: Is this the best budget friendly electric family car?
- Vauxhall's Mokka is a treat to drive but there's one major problem
- Dacia's new Bigster is big on comfort and a lot of car for your £25,000
- Aston Martin's £175,000 Vantage Roadster is a V for Victory
- Audi Q5 is its best seller, we went to Morocco to try the new version
- Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo is speedy, sporty and super expensive
- The French electric revolution: Driving Citroen's new £22,000 e-C3 EV
- Driving Rolls-Royce's most powerful car ever: Black Badge Spectre
- Jaecoo 7 SHS review: China's £35,000 Range Rover rival driven in the UK
- The Honda Jazz is an underappreciated star: We test the latest version
- We drive the blisteringly fast new open top Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider
- Is this Porsche's ultimate family sportscar? Macan GTS tested
- Last petrol Jag: F-Type review ahead of Jaguar's big electric move
