UK Petrol and Diesel Prices: Estimate Your October Journey Cost

Business & Money Desk 2026-10-16 08:41 Updated: 07:35 3 min read

Vintage petrol pumps at Teale's Garage in Leeds, United Kingdom.

UK drivers can use the government’s latest weekly averages as a benchmark, then estimate a trip using the price shown at the forecourt they plan to use. The averages describe the national picture for a reporting week; they do not guarantee what a particular station will charge in October.

Check the reporting week before comparing prices

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes weekly UK average retail prices for petrol and diesel. Its weekly road fuel prices collection is the place to check the latest dated release and the period it covers.

The information supplied confirms that the series is published weekly, but does not include the latest release’s date or figures. Those numbers are therefore not stated here. Before using an average in a comparison, open the collection, find the newest dated release and note both its reporting week and petrol and diesel values. Do not treat an undated figure as current.

A dated national average can help you compare the broad cost of each fuel type and see the level recorded for that week. It cannot tell you what you will pay at a specific pump, or predict the price on the day of your journey.

Calculate fuel cost using your route and pump price

For a simple estimate, use the distance you expect to drive, your vehicle’s fuel consumption and the price displayed at your chosen forecourt. If your car’s consumption is given in miles per gallon (mpg), this formula gives an estimate in pounds:

Journey cost = distance in miles ÷ mpg × 4.546 × pump price per litre in pounds

The 4.546 factor converts UK gallons to litres. Make sure the pump price is entered in pounds per litre: for example, 150p per litre is £1.50.

UK Petrol and Diesel Prices: Estimate Your October Journey Cost

Example: Suppose a round trip is 200 miles, the car returns 40 mpg and the chosen forecourt displays £1.50 per litre. The estimate is 200 ÷ 40 × 4.546 × £1.50, or about £34.10. This is an illustrative calculation, not a quote for a real route or a current pump price.

For a one-way journey, use the one-way distance. For a return trip, include both legs. If you expect detours or extra local driving, add those miles to the distance before calculating.

Why the local price may differ from the UK average

The weekly figure is an average across the UK, while the price at your chosen station is a local retail price. A forecourt can display a different price from the national average, so the price on its sign or pump is the relevant input for your trip estimate.

Prices can also change between the government’s reporting week and your travel date. Check the pump price close to departure, then recalculate if it has changed. The estimate will still vary with actual driving: traffic, speed, load, weather and route can all affect fuel use.

Use the government series to compare a dated national benchmark, not as a promise of what a driver will pay locally. For an October journey, check the newest dated weekly release for context and the chosen forecourt’s displayed price for the calculation.

Source: UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Context & actions About this article

Source check How the estimate works

The government series provides weekly UK averages; the journey example uses an explicitly illustrative forecourt price and vehicle consumption.

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