More than six months after Labour introduced its Fuel Finder scheme, some UK petrol and diesel stations are still not complying with the new rules, according to a report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Fuel Finder registration gaps
The scheme, which launched earlier this year, legally requires petrol stations to publish their live prices from February 2. Stations must update their costs within 30 minutes of any price change, with the data then shared with third-party apps such as PetrolPrices.
The tool is designed to help road users quickly compare costs in their area, allowing drivers to find the cheapest petrol and diesel prices and save on fuel costs.
However, the CMA's new report into road fuel reveals that only 97% of UK petrol stations are registered with the scheme. The CMA delayed enforcement activity until May, but officials have still had to send 1,166 letters to retailers and issue compliance notices covering 53 sites.
No financial penalties yet
Despite these enforcement actions, the report states that no financial penalties have been issued to sites not following the rules.
The CMA said: "The CMA's experience to date is that registration issues are generally resolved quickly through informal engagement with retailers. This has contributed to high levels of registration across the market and the CMA has not yet found it necessary to impose financial penalties."
The CMA added: "The CMA will continue to work with the remaining unregistered retailers – representing approximately 1% of national fuel sales volume – to secure their prompt registration, taking formal enforcement action where appropriate."
Consumer impact limited
The CMA has downplayed any major impact on consumers, explaining that the stations currently registered account for around 99% of UK fuel sales volume. This means almost all petrol and diesel sold to motorists in the UK is covered by the comparison tool.
Officials have stressed that they are prepared to take "proportionate enforcement action" if some petrol and diesel stations continue to evade the rules.
The CMA concluded: "As Fuel Finder becomes more widely used by drivers, high levels of compliance will be important in maintaining confidence in the accuracy of Fuel Finder information and ensuring that greater price transparency supports stronger competition in the road fuel market."
The CMA added: "The CMA will continue to promote compliance with the Regulations through outreach to retailers and targeted, proportionate enforcement action where appropriate."
