• New Cars
    • First Impressions
    • Road Tests
  • Classics
    • Classic Profiles
    • Classic Driving Impressions
    • Classics Information
    • Events and Days Out
  • Motoring For Fun
  • News & Views
  • Bookshelf
  • Technical
    • Grumpy Old Mechanic
    • Kim’s Tips
  • Features
    • Visits
    • Track Days
  • Contributors
    • About our contributors
    • Kim Henson
    • Chris Adamson
    • Kieron Fennelly
    • Ant Henson
    • Rachel Henson
    • David Miles
    • Gerald Morgan
    • Dave Moss
    • Dave Randle
    • Robin Roberts
    • Tom Scanlan
    • Glen Smale
    • Jeremy Walton
    • Keith Ward
    • John Price Williams
  • More…
    • About Wheels Alive
    • Tips for using this website
    • Useful Links

Wheels Alive

Old cars, new cars, borrowed cars & blue cars. If it steers it's here!

Old cars, new cars, borrowed cars & blue cars. If it steers it's here!

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Diesel crunch set to worsen — FairFuelUK warns of sharp pump price rises

10th September 2026

FairFuelUK advises that filling your tank could soon cost a great deal more…  Photograph © Kim Henson.

FairFuelUK tells us…
Refining meltdown pushes diesel toward £2/litre — Government still silent as 40 other nations have acted.

FairFuelUK today warned that UK diesel prices are set to rise sharply as global refining capacity falls short of demand. Despite crude oil stabilising, diesel remains around 190p/litre, driven by record‑high refining margins and a tightening global supply chain.

With UK reserve cover at just 23–26 days, any further disruption — from Russian refinery outages to Persian Gulf shipping instability — will push pump prices even higher.

Diesel is rising because refineries cannot produce enough — not because crude is expensive.

Why refining is the problem:

  • Russian refining capacity down ~30% due to strikes
  • Russian diesel exports curtailed
  • Persian Gulf refinery throughput down ~30% due to Hormuz disruption
  • Europe already had a long‑term diesel deficit
  • Global refining margins at four‑year highs (IEA)

The result: Diesel prices will rise even if crude stays stable. Likely UK pump price range If the refining crunch worsens, UK diesel could move into the 195–205p/litre range.

FairFuelUK founder Howard Cox said: “Diesel is the commercial heartbeat of any economy. Brent hitting $100 is bad enough, but the real danger now is the diesel refining crunch. Diesel prices aren’t rising because oil is expensive — they’re rising because the world can’t refine enough of it. That’s a structural crisis, and it means UK pump prices are about to surge sharply. We’re already near 190p a litre, and without urgent action, diesel could smash through £2 a litre, hammering motorists, hauliers, small businesses and the entire economy. More than 40 countries have stepped in to protect drivers and keep inflation down. The UK must do the same — or we’ll sleepwalk into another cost‑of‑living shock.”

More than 40 countries have already intervened with fuel tax cuts, subsidies or price caps since the Iran Crisis started. The UK has not. WHY???

FairFuelUK is calling for:

  • A freeze on Fuel Duty for the lifetime of this Parliament
  • A targeted diesel duty reduction
  • Immediate implementation of PumpWatch
  • A freight resilience plan to protect supply chains

For more information about FairFuel UK, please go to: https://www.fairfueluk.com

Save Post as PDF

Categories: News & Views Tags: Diesel crunch set to worsen — FairFuelUK warns of sharp pump price rises

Tip: For improved search accuracy, enclose search terms for multiple words in quotation marks. For example:
"Land Rover".

Advertise with us

Recent Posts

Diesel crunch set to worsen — FairFuelUK warns of sharp pump price rises

‘L.A. display’ as World Land Speed Sunbeam 1000hp (restored by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu) arrives at Petersen Automotive Museum

British Motor Museum to host two exciting STEM Career Days this Autumn

GWM Havel Jolion Pro Ultra Hybrid – Road Test

FairFuelUK says, “Motorists Paying £10–£15 More Per Tank Than Wholesale Trends Justify”

UK Car Sales August 2026

British Motor Museum announces eight key motoring shows this Autumn!

Beaulieu events to brighten September

Contributors

contributors

Our well-respected contributors live and breathe motor cars; aren’t we lucky?

Contributors to the site include talented, highly-respected people (so they tell me) on the hallowed membership list of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and from the similarly well thought-of Western Group of Motoring Writers. In addition there are valued contributions from other knowledgeable and capable motoring writers who have something useful to say about all aspects of driving and running vehicles in the 21st Century. All of our team are passionate about motor cars!


Read about our contributors  ››

Tags

EV City car Estate car MPV Seven seater SUV Beaulieu crossover 4x4 British Motor Museum Suzuki National Motor Museum plug-in hybrid large SUV hatchback Electric estate five door hatchback Compact SUV road test saloon Coupé The Motor Ombudsman PHEV all-electric luxury SUV Hybrid Tyres First Impressions SUV Kia

All Tags ››

Like us on Facebook

Like us on Facebook

Wheels Alive Social

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Please share our website

Contact us

We welcome your questions, comments and feedback. Please click here to contact us.

Advertising Opportunities

Please contact us if you would like to discuss advertising opportunities on Wheels Alive.

Copyright © 2026 Kim Henson, Wheels Alive