Google Maps now shows UK petrol and diesel prices to help drivers find cheaper fuel

Drivers in the UK can now see petrol and diesel prices on Google Maps, making it easier to compare fuel costs and find cheaper forecourts as prices continue to rise.

How Google Maps fuel prices work

From Thursday, searching for a forecourt on Google Maps will show its location and fuel prices using data provided through the government’s Fuel Finder scheme.

UK forecourts are legally required to add their prices to Fuel Finder within 30 minutes of changing them.

The update comes just days after diesel prices exceeded £2 a litre for the first time. RAC policy director Simon Williams described this as “a price threshold that no one wants to cross”.

Although several dedicated apps help motorists find the cheapest fuel, Ofcom says 77% of the UK’s adult population uses Google Maps for general navigation.

Fuel prices remain high despite a recent fall in diesel costs

Fuel costs around the world have been dramatically affected by the US war with Iran and Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Diesel prices have since fallen by 2p, but the AA says the average 55-litre tank of diesel still costs around £110. The equivalent petrol tank costs around £96.

Google Maps fuel price feature also available on Waze

The feature is already available on navigation app Waze, which is used by around 2 million people in the UK.

Apple Maps does not show fuel prices, although some third-party apps can link to Maps on an iPhone.

Experts warn that Fuel Finder data may not be complete

Some experts say Fuel Finder is not completely reliable.

Claire Lafferty, director of price comparison site Petrolprice, said: “At this time, the government’s Fuel Finder feed needs to be supplemented with other data sources, as alone it cannot provide the level of coverage and accuracy required to provide a complete and reliable service to motorists.”

“There are still sites that have not registered with the scheme at all, as well as sites that have registered but have not consistently updated their prices within the required timeframes.”

Petrolprice said it had identified 200 forecourts where diesel prices were not updated in time in September.

Sarah Jayne Williams, director of product partnerships for Google Maps and Waze, said the company independently checks the data and does not display prices it does not believe are up to date.

“Accuracy is very important, so we’ll still show gas stations and their locations, but we’ll only show prices if we have a high degree of confidence that it’s the right price,” she said.

The Retail Motor Industry Federation, which represents thousands of forecourt and petrol retailers in the UK, said its members were in compliance.

Fuel Finder could save households £40 a year

Fuel Finder was launched in February by former Prime Minister Rachel Reeves, who said at the time that it could save households £40 a year.