Scotland currently has the most expensive petrol prices in the UK, with average forecourt costs reaching 153.3p per litre for the week ending July 12, 2026, according to new official statistics. This is a slight decrease from 154.4p a litre a fortnight earlier, but still the highest among all UK regions and nations.
The average price of petrol across the UK increased from a six-week low of 150.7p on Monday to 151.0p a litre by the weekend. Diesel remained largely stable at just below 165p a litre, edging up from 164.8p to 164.9p. In Scotland, diesel fell from 170.6p at the end of June to 166.3p per litre in early July.
Regional Variations Across the UK
While all UK regions saw average pump prices drop over the past two weeks, northern England recorded petrol prices below 150p per litre the previous week. However, only the North East and Yorkshire and Humberside maintained that position last week. Northern Ireland continues to enjoy notably cheaper fuel than the mainland.
Impact of Geopolitical Tensions on Fuel Prices
Both petrol and diesel have been affected by the renewed US-Iran conflict, which has pushed oil prices higher. Diesel has received additional upward pressure from Russia's ban on its export of the fuel. Since the outbreak of the conflict, petrol and diesel reached peaks of 159.0p and 192.4p per litre respectively in April. After a temporary dip amid hopes of a ceasefire, petrol climbed again to 159.7p in May following the breakdown of negotiations.
From June through July, petrol prices eased to 150.7p in early July, while diesel fell from 184.4p in late May to its current level of 164.9p per litre.
Electric Vehicle Uptake Surges
Newly released government figures point to the impact of fluctuating petrol and diesel prices on the uptake of electric vehicles. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero now records electricity consumption by road vehicles separately from overall transport usage. These figures reveal a 30.7 percent rise in power consumption by road vehicles between 2024 and 2025, with electricity used by EVs surging a further 28.1 percent in the first quarter of this year.
The department estimates, based on Department for Transport data, that two-thirds of that electricity usage stems from home charging. Total electricity demand from the transport sector remains relatively small compared to other industries.
AA Spokesman Comments
Luke Bosdet, the AA's spokesman on pump prices, said: "Despite more than a penny coming off the average price of petrol over the past fortnight, drivers across the UK now face new increases heading towards the start of the summer holidays. And it's always in the back of people's minds that current pump prices would be 6p a litre worse were it not for the fuel duty cut (5p fuel duty + 1p VAT)."
Bosdet added: "The new government figures on electricity consumption by electric vehicles give a new perspective on the impact of pump prices that not only remain well above the worst endured by drivers before covid (petrol 142.5p, diesel 147.9p in April 2012) but frustrate vehicle owners with their volatility. Large numbers of car owners that can are now ditching petrol and diesel for electricity and its more predictable costs."
