Diesel prices in the UK have climbed to a record level after starting the year at about 140 pence per litre, with the increase accelerating amid the US-Iran conflict.
Customers are seen at a Chevron gas station in Houston, on October 2, 2026.
The average UK diesel price has hit a record high of close to 2 pounds ($2.62) a litre on the fallout from the US-Iran war, government data showed Tuesday.
The average reached 199.52 pence a litre in the week to October 5, official figures showed.
That surpassed the previous record of 199.22 pence in July 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a key energy producer.
Having started the year at around 140 pence a litre, UK diesel has shot higher since the start of the US-Iran conflict at the end of February.
Diesel prices are also on the up as a result of export restrictions imposed by Russia after Ukrainian attacks on its fuel facilities.
Costs are jumping across the globe. The average US diesel price reached a record of almost $6.53 a US gallon (3.78 litres) in late September, according to the motorists’ association AAA.
In a bid to combat the pain felt by motorists, US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order allowing drivers to use tax-exempt red-dyed diesel on public roads.
The fuel is normally reserved for farm machinery and other off-road equipment.
In a joint effort to help cool prices, G7 countries, in coordination with the International Energy Agency, agreed Friday to immediately release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil.
AFP
