Road fuel monitoring and enforcement
How the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) monitors the road fuel market and its approach to enforcement of Fuel Finder.
In 2023, the CMA published the final report of its road fuel market study. This included 2 recommendations to the UK government to address the weakening of competition:
-
a new “Fuel Finder” scheme, to give drivers access to live, station-by-station fuel prices
-
to establish a road fuel price monitoring function to hold the industry accountable
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (the DUA Act), which received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025, provides the legislative basis to set up Fuel Finder. While the government establishes Fuel Finder, the CMA has established the rules for an interim voluntary open data pricing scheme.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) received Royal Assent and gave the CMA statutory information-gathering powers so that it could undertake the monitoring function.
Annual reports
Annual monitoring reports focus on competition in the road fuel market and how well the market is working for consumers.
Quarterly update reports
Update monitoring reports include information on average pump prices, including retail spread and fuel margins.
Road fuel monitoring guidance
The CMA monitors competition in the road fuel sector. This guidance explains how we use our statutory powers. The guidance applies to:
- supermarket retailers
- motorway retailers with 5 or more sites
- non-supermarket retailers with 80 or more sites
Road fuel open data scheme
The CMA has collated links to data provided by suppliers as part of the temporary road fuel price open data scheme. This is an interim and voluntary scheme.
Fuel Finder guidance
The UK government will be launching the statutory Fuel Finder scheme, implementing the key recommendation from our market study intended to help motorists find the cheapest fuel and incentivise retailers to price road fuel more competitively. The CMA will have an enforcement role for non-compliance with the scheme.
The government expects motorists to start benefiting from Fuel Finder – mainly through access to near real-time pricing data via price comparison websites, apps and vehicle satellite navigation systems (satnavs) signed up to the scheme – during 2026.
Consultations
Updates to this page
-
December 2025 road fuel annual monitoring report added.
-
Fuel Finder draft guidance on the CMA’s enforcement functions consultation added.
-
September 2025 quarterly update report added.
-
June 2025 quarterly update report added to page.
-
March 2025 quarterly update report published.
-
Road fuel monitoring guidance added.
-
Draft new guidance for road fuel monitoring consultation published.
-
July 2024 interim road fuel monitoring update published.
-
November 2023 interim road fuel monitoring update published
-
First published.