Petrol prices go live on Google Maps in new fuel price tracker

The fuel price feature could reach millions of UK drivers

From Thursday, drivers searching the app for nearby forecourts will be able to see how much they charge for petrol and diesel, alongside their location.

The prices will be pulled from the Government’s Fuel Finder system. The scheme requires fuel retailers to report their prices and update the information within 30 minutes whenever they change them.

Google’s move could give the price comparison tool a huge audience, as Ofcom estimates that 77% of adults in Britain use Google Maps for navigation.

It is not the first navigation app to offer the feature. Waze already shows fuel prices and has around two million UK users. 

Apple Maps, meanwhile, does not display fuel costs itself, although certain third-party apps can use Apple’s mapping service to provide the information.

Drivers are being warned about relying on Fuel Finder

The timing of the change comes as filling up remains a significant expense for drivers.

Diesel recently climbed above £2 a litre for the first time, with fuel prices around the world being hit by international tensions, including the US war with Iran and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

Although diesel has since fallen by around 2p a litre, the cost of a full tank is still steep. According to the AA, filling a typical 55-litre diesel tank now costs about £110, while the same amount of petrol comes in at roughly £96.

However, motorists may not always be able to rely entirely on the prices shown through Fuel Finder.

Clare Lafferty, director of price comparison website PetrolPrices, said the company continues to use additional sources because the Government’s system does not yet provide complete or consistently accurate information.

"There are still sites that have not registered with the scheme at all, alongside sites that have registered but are not consistently updating their prices within the required timeframe."

PetrolPrices found around 200 stations in September which it believed had failed to update their diesel prices on time.

The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents thousands of UK fuel retailers and forecourts, said its members were meeting the scheme’s requirements.