Fuel price rises in March were the highest on record, adding an “unprecedented” £11 to the cost of filling up an average vehicle.
The average cost for a litre of unleaded petrol rose by 20p in the month following America’s strikes on Iran, from 132.83p per litre to 152.83p. In the same period, diesel prices were up 40p to 182.77p, analysis by the RAC shows.
This surpasses the speed of the price rises seen after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, when petrol prices rose by 16.6p and diesel by 22p.
Fuel prices have not yet reached the highs seen during that time, with petrol peaking at 191.43p and diesel at 199.07p in July 2022, five months after the conflict began.
The current situation in the Middle East has just entered its second month, with US president Donald Trump saying on Wednesday that the end of military operations in Iran is “very close”.
But concerns remain that Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial oil shipping lane – could remain in place once the US ends its campaign. The country has threatened to attack any ships attempting to pass through the waterway, hitting an estimated 20 so far, effectively halting trade operations.
The strait provides the only passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, making it a crucial point for the oil industry. Around 20 per cent of the world’s gas and oil is shipped through the waterway, with the Iranian threat proving highly damaging for global trade.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “March has been truly unprecedented – fuel prices have never risen this fast in a single month. But while this is the biggest pence-per-litre increase ever in a month, it’s not as great in real terms as those seen during the 1973 oil crisis when the price of a barrel quadrupled.
“The increases drivers have had to endure in March 2026 far exceed those seen in the early days of the war in Ukraine.
“While the monthly rise in a litre of petrol is bad enough, the jump in the cost of diesel is even harder to swallow at 40p a litre – 18p more than the previous monthly record. With long-term RAC research showing eight-in-10 people are dependent on their vehicles, these costs must really be taking their toll on both households as well as businesses.”
The fuel expert says drivers should look around for the cheapest fuel prices to save money, with the Easter weekend expected to be the busiest on the roads since 2022.
On Tuesday, the Government published a list of some of the third-party fuel-price apps and websites using pump price data from its Fuel Finder scheme.
They include Confused.com, DriveScore, Fuel Finder UK, Fuel Spy, MotorMouth, PetrolPrices.com, RAC Fuel Watch and the AA.
All UK forecourts have been required to report price changes to the Fuel Finder database within half an hour of a change since 2 February.
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