The UK government's Fuel Finder scheme, launched to help drivers locate the cheapest petrol and diesel prices, has been described as a "disaster" by a leading motoring organization due to numerous data inaccuracies. The initiative, which cost taxpayers £2 million, has been found to have critical flaws that make it difficult for drivers to rely on the information provided, potentially leading to increased costs.
The scheme, developed for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) by VE3 Global and launched in February 2026, aims to supply third-party websites and apps with fuel price data. However, research conducted by automotive consumer group What Car? has revealed that the data is "woefully inaccurate."
What Car?'s investigation, which utilized data from PetrolPrices.com, identified several significant issues. Nine out of the 8,300 fuel stations listed had their longitude and latitude coordinates reversed, with some appearing to be located in the Indian Ocean instead of the UK. Additionally, 155 petrol stations were misplaced by 500 meters or more, hindering their findability. The research also found that 825 petrol stations were incorrectly identified as supermarkets, while 81 supermarkets were not flagged as such. This is a particular concern as supermarkets often offer lower fuel prices.
Further discrepancies include 35 non-motorway petrol stations being marked as motorway service areas, and six actual motorway locations failing to be identified on the motorway network. These misclassifications are problematic because motorway service stations typically have higher fuel prices.
Previous research by What Car? estimated that these inaccuracies could cost the average motorist up to £260 per year, directly contradicting the government's claim that the scheme could save drivers £40 annually. The findings are likely to disappoint the 67 percent of motorists who indicated they would use mobile devices to monitor local pump prices when the scheme was introduced.
Issues with Price Updates
Beyond location errors, the Fuel Finder scheme is reportedly failing motorists due to the difficulty in determining the timeliness of price information. VE3 Global, the scheme's implementer, altered its policy in March of this year, stipulating that retailers could only confirm prices when they change, rather than on a regular daily basis as had been the previous practice. Many fuel retailers had previously updated prices at least once a day, even if unchanged, to assure consumers of their currency. The new system means prices might remain static for weeks, leaving consumers uncertain if the data is out of date or simply hasn't changed.
Clare Lafferty from PetrolPrices.com stated that the implementation has been a "disaster" and that both DESNZ and VE3 Global have been poor in engaging with the industry to ensure the scheme's functionality. Claire Evans, What Car?'s consumer editor, added that the "extremely poor quality of the information provided and the lack of transparency about prices being up to date makes Fuel Finder not fit for purpose."
The Fuel Finder scheme was initiated following a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into the fuel retail sector, which found evidence of weakened competition and recommended the implementation of a statutory scheme. The launch was initially met with optimism by motoring organizations, who hailed it as a step towards cheaper fuel prices across the UK.