Quite apart from the human toll, the war in the Middle East has had serious economic consequences for the UK, including significant spikes in petrol and diesel prices at a time when many households are already under financial pressure.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected around a fifth of global oil trade. Oil forms the raw material for both fuel types, so soaring oil prices have fed directly into wholesale fuel costs at pumps across the country.
Trade bodies such as the RAC, and the government, have insisted that supplies are still reaching forecourts and that there is no need to panic buy. The UK belongs to the International Energy Agency, which has issued recommendations urging reduced energy consumption, with ideas including making fewer car trips. Some nations have already begun rationing supplies.
Education Secretary Bridget Philipson told a weekend news programme in late March that people should follow the advice of trade organisations such as the RAC and “fill up as normal”.
How Much Have Fuel Prices Risen?
Typical petrol prices at the time of writing had risen to 152p a litre. That means the average car running on petrol now costs around £10.55 more to fill up each time than it did at the start of the conflict.
By the end of March 2026, the price of diesel had reached its highest level since the end of 2022, hitting 181.2p a litre. Prices could, of course, continue to rise.
At the same time, the gap between diesel and petrol prices is now at its widest for more than 20 years. According to the RAC, the 28.5p a litre difference is because UK oil refineries tend to be more geared towards petrol production, leaving a greater dependency on diesel imports.
DVLA figures show that over 16.2 million diesel vehicles were licensed in the UK as of the end of September 2025, including a large majority of vans and other light-goods vehicles. The fuel has been described as the lifeblood of millions of small businesses.
Opposition parties have been urging the government to scrap fuel duty increases set to kick in this September. A previous government introduced a fuel duty reduction in March 2022 following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves extended this until August 2026 in her November Budget. PM Sir Keir Starmer has met energy bosses to discuss the situation.
How Do I Get the Best Deal on Fuel?
As with anything, it pays to shop around. Various apps and websites help you find the cheapest stations within up to a 10-mile radius. Supermarkets typically offer lower prices, plus perks such as loyalty points or money-off vouchers. Motorway service stations are consistently more expensive.
It is also worth joining loyalty schemes where you can. Tools such as FuelFinder and Petrol-Prices allow you to search by postcode and compare local prices.
For more tips on fuel-efficient driving and saving money at the pump, MoneySavingExpert has a useful guide.
What If I Put the Wrong Fuel in My Car?
Now more than ever, filling up with the right fuel matters. With diesel at record highs, putting petrol in a diesel vehicle or vice versa is a costly mistake that keeps getting more expensive.
Yet it can still happen to anyone. Every day, more than 400 people across the UK make the same mistake. If you realise you have filled up incorrectly, the most important thing is to not start the engine and call for help immediately.
At Wrong Fuel Recovery, we offer a range of services to get you back on the road as quickly as possible:
- Petrol in a diesel car (unleaded in diesel)
- Diesel in a petrol car
- Mobile fuel drain carried out at your location
- Fuel removal and tank flush
- AdBlue removal
We cover the whole of the UK and aim to be with you within an hour, wherever you are. View our full range of wrong fuel recovery services for more information.
Call Us Now
If you have put the wrong fuel in your car, do not delay. Call us on 0800 193 1103 or 07538 889 922. Tell us where you are and answer a few basic questions, then sit back and wait. We will be with you as soon as we can.
You can also contact us online or find out more about Wrong Fuel Recovery and how we work.