The government announced today that live UK fuel prices are now showing inside Google Maps and Waze. It is a big step for transparency. Here is what the new feature does, what it does not do, and why you still need a dedicated comparison tool.
What was announced today?
On 8 October 2026 the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed that the UK Government's Fuel Finder API — the same live price feed that powers this site — is now integrated into Google Maps and Waze.
When a driver searches for a petrol station in Google Maps, the current fuel price will appear directly in the search result. Waze users will also see prices overlaid on the map as they navigate.
The data updates every 30 minutes under the legal requirement introduced by the government's Pumpwatch scheme. Forecourts selling more than one million litres per year must report prices within 30 minutes of any change — or face fines.
The £40 a year claim
The government says drivers who use the Fuel Finder data to shop around could save around £40 per year. That figure comes from analysis by the Competition and Markets Authority, which found typical price gaps of 6–8p per litre between the cheapest and most expensive local stations.
At average UK consumption of around 700 litres per year for a petrol car, a consistent 6p saving per litre adds up to £42 annually. The maths checks out — but only if you are actually comparing prices before filling up, not just looking at the station you have already pulled into.
What Google Maps does — and does not do
The Google Maps integration is genuinely useful for a specific use case: you are already searching for directions to a petrol station and you want to see its price before you arrive.
What it does not do is show you a ranked list of every station within a given radius, sorted cheapest to most expensive. Google Maps will show you the price at the station in your current search. It will not tell you whether the Esso three streets away is 8p cheaper per litre.
That is the difference between price visibility and price comparison. Google Maps gives you the former. Save at the Pump gives you both — every station near you, ranked by price, on one map.
What this means for the fuel price transparency picture
Today's announcement is part of a broader rollout. Since the Pumpwatch law came into force, the government has steadily expanded which forecourts must report and tightened enforcement. The current 99% coverage figure — measured by volume of fuel sold — is a significant milestone. The vast majority of litres sold in the UK now come from stations reporting live prices to the API.
However, coverage by volume is not the same as coverage by station count. Smaller independent forecourts selling below the threshold are still exempt. And even among those legally required to report, compliance is not perfect.
145 stations still not updating prices
Government data shows 145 stations have not updated their prices in more than 30 days, despite the legal requirement to do so within 30 minutes of any change. In the current environment — with petrol averaging 170p and diesel above 190p — a stale price from a month ago could be wrong by 20p or more per litre.
If you spot a price on this site or on Google Maps that looks wrong when you arrive at the forecourt, you can report it directly to the government. The reporting process takes about two minutes and prompts an investigation.
The timing: diesel at record highs
The announcement arrives at a particularly sharp moment for UK drivers. Diesel hit an all-time record of 200.01p per litre on 2 October — the first time it has ever crossed £2. Petrol is averaging around 170p, driven by the ongoing Iran conflict and disruption to Red Sea shipping routes.
In that context, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive local station is not an abstract saving. At a 10p per litre gap on a 55-litre fill, that is £5.50 per visit. Over a year, it is more than the government's headline £40 estimate.
The tools to find those savings — government API, Google Maps, Waze, and dedicated comparison sites — have never been more complete. The question is whether drivers use them.
Open Save at the Pump — every station, ranked cheapest to most expensive, with live prices updated every 30 minutes.