How to Report a Petrol Station for Wrong Prices UK

Since 2 February 2026, every UK petrol station has been legally required to report any price change to the Government's Fuel Finder system within 30 minutes. If the price on the board or pump does not match what comparison tools show — or if prices are obviously weeks out of date — you have the right to report it directly to the Government. Here is exactly how to do it, what happens next, and what your rights are at the pump.

30 min

Time limit for petrol stations to report any price change under the Motor Fuel Price Regulations 2025

30%

Maximum fine as a percentage of annual turnover for stations that persistently fail to report

1 May

Date CMA began actively enforcing the Fuel Finder scheme against non-compliant stations

How to report a petrol station for not displaying current prices

The Government has a dedicated reporting service for Fuel Finder errors. If you visit a petrol station and the price on the board or pump does not match the price shown on comparison tools, or if the station's prices appear weeks out of date, you can report it directly:

Report an incorrect fuel price: gov.uk/guidance/report-an-error-in-fuel-prices-or-forecourt-details

When submitting a report, it helps to include:

The name and address of the petrol station
The price displayed on the board or pump
The price shown on the Fuel Finder or comparison tools for the same station
Where you saw the information — roadside sign, pump display or app listing
Photos or screenshots if available — optional but helpful
The date and time you visited

You can submit a report anonymously. If you leave contact details, the Fuel Finder team may contact you about your report. Reports are shared with the forecourt operator and may be passed to local Trading Standards or the CMA.

What happens after you report?

Your report goes to VE3 Global, the aggregator appointed by the Government to manage the Fuel Finder scheme. VE3 will work with the forecourt operator to resolve the issue. If the station persistently fails to report on time or reports inaccurate data, VE3 can refer the matter to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The CMA has been actively prioritising enforcement since 1 May 2026. Its powers include formal investigations and financial penalties of up to 30% of annual turnover. In an open letter to forecourt operators dated 2 April 2026, the CMA put the industry on notice that non-compliance would be taken seriously.

What is the Fuel Finder scheme?

The Fuel Finder scheme was introduced under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, coming into force on 2 February 2026. Every petrol station in the UK is legally required to:

Register with the scheme
Report any price change within 30 minutes of it taking effect
Keep their registered details — address, opening hours, facilities — up to date within three days of any change

Stations can report price changes through four channels: an automated API connected to their till system, a secure web portal, an SMS service, or an interactive voice response phone line. There is no excuse for prices being weeks out of date — the system is designed to make compliance straightforward.

How can I tell if a petrol station is showing stale prices?

Our live fuel price map shows when each station last updated its prices. Stations that have not updated for more than seven days are flagged with an amber warning. Stations that have not updated for more than 30 days receive a more prominent alert noting they may be in breach of Fuel Finder reporting rules.

If a station near you is showing prices that appear significantly lower than all surrounding stations — for example, showing 130p per litre when nearby stations show 161p — this is almost certainly a stale price rather than a genuine bargain. Check the "last updated" timestamp on our map before making a detour.

What if the price at the pump is higher than advertised on the board?

This is a separate consumer rights issue from the Fuel Finder reporting obligation. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, traders must sell goods at the displayed price. If a petrol station charges you more at the pump than the price displayed on the forecourt board or totem sign, you have been mis-sold to.

In this situation:

Note the discrepancy and take a photo of the board price if possible
Raise it with the forecourt staff immediately — most will honour the displayed price
If not resolved, contact Citizens Advice: citizensadvice.org.uk
Report to your local Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133
Also report via the Government's Fuel Finder reporting service linked above

Can I report a petrol station for price gouging?

Price gouging — charging excessive prices during a period of high demand — is not illegal in the UK for fuel retailers under normal circumstances. However, the CMA monitors fuel margins and has the power to investigate if it believes retailers are exploiting consumers. In March 2026, the Chancellor and Energy Secretary asked the CMA to crack down on any exploitation of recent price fluctuations.

If you believe a station is charging excessively compared to all nearby competitors, you can report it to the CMA directly at gov.uk/competition-and-markets-authority. The CMA publishes regular monitoring reports on fuel margins and takes reports from consumers seriously.

How many stations are currently non-compliant?

Our live data covering all 7,900+ UK stations shows the current compliance picture. We flag stations that have not updated their prices within the required timeframe. As of September 2026, several hundred stations show prices more than seven days old, and a smaller number have not updated since the scheme launched. Our press page publishes the current compliance statistics, updated automatically.