Why is fuel so expensive at motorway services?
Fuel at motorway services costs more mainly because there is little competition. Once you are on the motorway, the next services can be many miles away, and a few operators run most of them, so they can charge a premium. The way to avoid it is to fill up before you join the motorway, or to leave at a junction where there is a forecourt in a nearby town.
How much more does motorway fuel cost?
In its 2023 road fuel market study, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that motorway service stations were charging around 20p a litre more for petrol and 15p a litre more for diesel than other fuel stations. On a 50-litre fill, a 20p premium is £10.
The CMA also found the premium had grown in real terms since 2012, and that prices varied little from one motorway service area to the next. Its monitoring update in June 2026 said motorway service stations remained the most expensive places to buy fuel, charging a substantial premium.
For comparison, the UK average for petrol right now is 174.2p a litre and diesel is 199.2p.
Why do motorway services charge more?
Limited competition
Motorway service areas are spread out along the network, and a driver can't easily compare one with the next. The CMA linked the premium to limited competition between service stations, a concentrated market and the difficulty drivers have in seeing prices and shopping around. It said it had not seen evidence that the premium could be explained by higher costs.
Many drivers don't pay the pump price
Lots of motorway fuel is bought by business drivers using fuel cards, who often pay agreed prices. The CMA said the premium falls on drivers without fuel cards, who make up around 20% to 25% of motorway fuel sales. Those drivers are the ones paying the full pump price.
Drivers often need fuel there and then
If your warning light comes on halfway along a motorway, you are unlikely to drive off to find a cheaper station. Operators know a share of their customers have little choice.
How can I avoid motorway fuel prices?
- Fill up before you set off. Start a long trip with a full tank bought locally. On many cars that is enough for the whole journey, or most of it.
- Check prices along the route. Before you leave, look up prices in towns near the junctions you will pass. Our prices by town pages make that quick.
- Leave at a junction. Many junctions have a supermarket or other forecourt within a mile or two. A short detour of a few miles each way is usually far cheaper than a 15p to 20p premium. Our guide on whether it's worth driving further for cheaper fuel shows how to work it out.
- Buy only what you need. If you have to fill up at services, put in enough to reach a cheaper station and top up properly there.
- Don't run it close. Plan your stop while you still have a good amount in the tank. Running out of fuel on a motorway is dangerous, and a near-empty tank leaves you no choice about where you stop.
Are all motorway services the same price?
No, but the differences between them tend to be small compared with the gap to ordinary forecourts. Prices can be checked in advance, because every forecourt, including motorway services, now has to report its prices under the government's Fuel Finder scheme.
Motorway services prices today
See every motorway service station's price today, compared with the cheapest forecourt within 5 miles of each one.
Plan your fill-up before you go
Before a long drive, search by postcode for your home, your destination or a town along the way, and pick a forecourt off the motorway with a fair price.
Sources
- CMA: plan to help drivers get more competitive fuel prices (2023)
- CMA: road fuel market monitoring update (June 2026)
- Live prices: the UK government's Fuel Finder scheme, via Cheapest Fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.