Fuel prices in Deeside and Flintshire hit highest in more than two years after record March rises
Petrol and diesel prices in Deeside have risen to their highest levels in more than two years, after both fuels recorded their biggest monthly increases ever in March.
Unleaded rose 20p across the month, from 132.83p on 1 March to 152.83p by the end.
That is the biggest monthly jump on record for petrol, surpassing the previous record of 16.6p set in June 2022.
Diesel rose even further, going up 40p in March to 182.77p from 142.38p.
That is nearly double the previous record monthly rise for diesel of 22p, set in March 2022 at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
RAC Fuel Watch analysis attributes both increases to the conflict in Iran, which began on 28 February.
Since then, petrol has risen 19.2p a litre, a 14.4% increase, reaching 152.83p by the end of March, the highest price in 28 months.
Diesel has risen 38.8p over the same period, a 27.3% increase, hitting 182.77p, a price not seen since December 2022.
A 55-litre petrol family car now costs just over £84 to fill, £11 more than at the start of March, according to RAC Fuel Watch data.
For the diesel equivalent, a full tank has crossed £100, reaching £100.52, which is £22 more than at the start of the month.
Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said: “March has been truly unprecedented – fuel prices have never risen this fast in a single month.
“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.”
Current prices are still below the all-time highs recorded in the summer of 2022, when petrol peaked at 191.5p on 3 July and diesel hit 199p on 25 June.
Across Deeside and Flintshire, petrol prices range from 151.9p to 167.9p a litre, a 16p gap that works out at £8.80 on a 55-litre fill.
Rhydymwyn Service Station has the cheapest unleaded in the area at 151.9p, which is 2.7p below the UK average, based on prices updated on 1 April.
The most expensive with current data is Shell at Northop Hall, at 167.9p, which is 13.3p above the UK average.
Drivers across Deeside can check prices at local forecourts in near real time through the government’s Fuel Finder scheme, which requires all UK petrol stations to report any price change within 30 minutes.
[updated: 2 Apr 2026, 10:33]
Deeside.com has run a free tracker on the same government data since the scheme launched, available at deeside.com
The tool updates every two hours and shows stations in Deeside, Flintshire and Chester ranked by price, with a breakdown of the five cheapest and five most expensive against the UK average.
No sign-up is required.
The government says the scheme could save drivers an average of £40 a year by helping them find cheaper stations locally.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “By giving drivers the information they need to see where fuel is cheapest locally, they can avoid being overcharged and continue to fill up as normal.”
Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey said the Competition and Markets Authority had confirmed it was stepping up its monitoring of petrol and diesel prices.
Compliance with the reporting requirement has been patchy, however.
The Times has reported that 20% of petrol stations were not updating their prices weekly, 15% had not reported a single pump price since the regulations came into force in February, and a further 10% had yet to be uploaded to the service at all.
The Deeside.com tracker excludes any station that has not published a price update in the past three days, to reduce the risk of showing out-of-date prices.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
