Diesel is set to hit a record HIGH this week as UK pump prices surge to their most expensive since Ukraine invasion

From the Newshound archive · first published 22 September 2026.

Diesel prices are closing in on an all-time record, with the average now at 196.1p per litre — just shy of the 199.1p peak set in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, and experts warn the new record will fall within days. The Strait of Hormuz blockade and Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities have pushed crude above $100 a barrel, with roughly 10% of UK stations already at or past £2 a litre for diesel. Motorists with a standard 55-litre tank are already paying around £108 to fill up on diesel, and the RAC's Simon Williams warned there is 'no end in sight' to the pain.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey blamed 'Trump's mad war with Iran' and demanded the Government hand windfall tax revenue back to struggling drivers.

The AA is calling for fuel duty to be cut by 10p until Christmas, warning that small businesses and rural diesel users face the heaviest burden.

Savvy drivers can save over £13 a tank by shopping around — School Service Station in Shipley, Yorkshire, is selling diesel at 172.9p per litre.