Fuel stations ‘put on notice’ as competition watchdog steps up price monitoring
Fuel retailers across the UK have been put on notice by the Competition and Markets Authority, which is bringing forward data collection from stations to detect any signs that rising wholesale costs are being exploited at the pump.
The CMA confirmed the move in a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, dated 14 March, written by chief executive Sarah Cardell.
The letter states that the authority has “set out plans to step up” its statutory road fuel monitoring function so it can “rapidly identify any signs that fuel stations are exploiting the situation.”
Cardell told the Chancellor that fuel retailers have been informed their pricing data will be collected earlier than originally scheduled to enable faster analysis.
The CMA said its ability to detect what it calls “rocket and feather” pricing, where prices rise quickly when wholesale costs go up but fall slowly when they come down, will be strengthened by data becoming available under the Fuel Finder scheme.
The authority said it is “committed to ensuring compliance” with the requirements of that scheme.
Drivers across Deeside and Flintshire can track live pump prices at more than 80 stations, including sites in Connah’s Quay, Flint, Mold, Hawarden and Chester, on Deeside.com’s fuel price map at https://deeside-fuel-prices.netlify.app/
The CMA said it will “publicly update on pricing as soon as possible” once its accelerated analysis of recent trends is complete.
Cardell wrote that it is “vital that the situation is not exploited, including through price increases that do not reflect genuine cost pressures,” and that the authority would “act without hesitation, using our full range of powers, if there is evidence that competition or consumer protection law has been broken.”
Separately, the CMA said it is also carrying out broader monitoring across other sectors likely to be affected by price rises, including agricultural inputs, groceries and travel, working with officials and other regulators.
On heating oil, the CMA confirmed it wrote to a number of suppliers and intermediaries on 11 March to obtain evidence on whether their practices raise consumer protection concerns.
The review is focused on two areas: the cancellation of existing orders followed by offers to re-supply at significantly higher prices, and price increases applied to automated delivery arrangements triggered by tank-level monitoring.
The CMA said it may also advise the government on how regulation could provide better protections for households reliant on heating oil, noting they do not currently receive the same regulatory safeguards as customers on the gas grid.
The authority said it is at “the initial stage of its review” and that “it should not be assumed that any businesses have broken consumer protection law.”
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