Fuel hits £3 a litre at UK's most expensive petrol station as Easter drivers face record pump prices

UK petrol prices hit record highs over Easter bank holiday

UK petrol prices reached a new threshold over Easter weekend, with one London forecourt charging 299.9p per litre for fuel, a fraction below £3 and a figure the RAC described as part of the fastest single-month price rise ever recorded in Britain.

The price was recorded at the Gulf service station on Sloane Avenue in Chelsea, widely regarded as the most expensive petrol station in the UK. Drivers filling up on Saturday ahead of the Easter bank holiday faced costs that consumer groups say are now placing significant strain on household budgets.

The RAC's head of policy, Simon Williams, said March 2026 had been "truly unprecedented" for fuel costs, adding that the increases far exceeded those seen at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

"With long-term RAC research showing eight in ten people are dependent on their vehicles, these costs must really be taking their toll on households, as well as businesses," Williams said.

Diesel prices up 30% since Middle East conflict began

Diesel prices have risen sharply since the outbreak of conflict in Iran, with the national average reaching 185.23p per litre this week, a 30% increase. Petrol has risen by 16% over the same period, with the national average now at 154.45p per litre.

The price rises are not confined to central London forecourts. Several motorway service stations across England have been spotted charging £2 per litre or more for diesel. EG Euro Garages' site at Rivington Services on the M61 near Bolton was charging 200.9p for regular diesel, whilst three additional forecourts recorded diesel at 199.9p.

Where are the highest prices being recorded?

The highest prices are concentrated in central London, where the Chelsea Gulf station has historically charged premium rates above the national average. Outside London, motorway forecourts are the next most expensive locations for drivers, with services on major routes into coastal and rural areas reporting above-average pump prices ahead of the Easter travel period.

Gulf Oil had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

Diesel at £2 a litre spreads beyond motorway forecourts

The £2 barrier for diesel, once treated as a ceiling, now appears regularly at both motorway services and urban forecourts. The spread of these prices beyond London suggests broader structural pressure on fuel supply costs rather than local pricing decisions by individual operators.

For van drivers, hauliers, and tradespeople whose work depends on diesel vehicles, the 30% price increase since the Iran conflict began represents a material cost increase that cannot be absorbed or passed on without consequence.

Petrol at 154.45p per litre, whilst lower than diesel in absolute terms, has also risen at a pace the RAC calls historically abnormal. The 16% increase over the same period adds to cost pressure on the roughly eight in ten UK adults the RAC identifies as car-dependent.

Industry impact: fuel costs as a business cost, not just a household one

The framing of fuel prices as a cost-of-living issue for households understates the exposure that small businesses face. Delivery firms, field service companies, and sole traders in trade sectors carry fuel as a direct operating cost with limited ability to hedge or offset rises in real time.

A 30% diesel increase since the start of the Iran conflict represents a significant margin squeeze for any business with a vehicle fleet, whether it operates two vans or twenty. At 185p per litre, a 60-litre fill costs £111 compared to roughly £85 before the conflict began, a difference that compounds across every journey and every working week.

Easter weekend concentrates these costs for leisure travel and last-mile delivery alike. Businesses planning Q2 pricing and cost projections should treat current pump prices as a floor rather than a peak, given that Middle East supply uncertainty has not resolved and global oil futures remain elevated.