Fuel prices rising at their fastest rate in eighteen months

Consumer Editor

4 minute read|4th Dec 2025

Last month the average prices of both unleaded petrol and diesel rose at their fastest rates since April 2024, new data from RAC Fuel Watch shows.*

Petrol pump prices went up 2.17p in November, taking the average cost of a litre to 137.17p – the highest price since mid-March 2025. Diesel, however, was up 3.84p in the month with the average cost of a litre now standing at 146.57p, a figure that drivers haven’t seen since late August 2024. The last time fuel prices rose as sharply in a single month was April 2024.**

While supermarket prices also increased, with unleaded up 2.46p to 134.48p and diesel up 3.6p to 143.08p, they remain significantly lower than the UK averages.

The cost of filling a family petrol car is now £75.44 (up £1.19 from £74.25 at the end October), with those using supermarket forecourts paying £73.69. A full diesel refill costs £80.61 on average, up £2.11 since the start of the month, and £78.69 at a supermarket.

Drivers in Northern Ireland once again pay substantially less than those elsewhere in the UK, with a litre of unleaded just 129.6p on average and diesel at 137.7p.

With the expense of Christmas just around the corner, the RAC believes the jump in pump prices will come as a disappointment to drivers. Compared to a year ago, petrol is about 0.5p per litre higher while diesel is more than 4p dearer. The current increases also follow last week’s Budget announcement that the rate of fuel duty will begin to rise from 52.95p next September – ending the present 5p fuel duty discount introduced in spring 2022 – and increasing the level of tax paid by drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Drivers will be disappointed to see prices at the pumps rise so sharply in the run-up to festive period. Not only is it one of the most expensive times of the year, it’s also a time when many of us drive hundreds of miles to celebrate with family and friends over the extended break, making it a costly Christmas on the roads.

“But it’s not all gloom, as filling up in the right place could save drivers a lot of money. The best way to locate the cheapest possible petrol or diesel is to download the myRAC app and use the fuel finder feature to locate the lowest prices near you. Every penny really does count, as each 1p less per litre saves around 55p a tank for an average family-size car.”

The myRAC app is available to download free from both the App Store or Google Play. Users, whether RAC members or not, can search up to five times a day for the cheapest fuel over a two, five or 10-mile radius.

The online RAC Fuel Watch resource has more information about the average price of petrol and diesel at the big four supermarkets and at motorway services. It also features graphs showing average prices since 2000.