Petrol Prices Smash Through 150p for the First Time in Two Years and Your Wallet Can Feel It

Fill Up and Wince: The 150p Milestone Nobody Wanted

If you have been putting off filling your tank, hoping prices might settle down, bad news: that strategy has officially backfired. The average price of unleaded petrol in the UK has climbed to 150.11p per litre as of 27 March 2026, according to RAC data. That is a threshold not breached since May 2024, and it lands just in time for the Easter getaway. Perfect timing, as always.

Diesel drivers, meanwhile, are having an even worse time. The black pump is now averaging 177.68p per litre, a figure that makes filling a family SUV feel like a minor financial event.

What Is Driving the Surge?

The short answer: conflict in the Middle East. Since US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, global oil markets have been in a state of sustained panic. Brent Crude has swung wildly, fluctuating between roughly $73 and $116 a barrel over the past four weeks, with reports suggesting it climbed back above $110 late last week.

To put the damage in perspective, here is what has happened at the pumps since the conflict began:

• Petrol: up 17.3p per litre (from 132.83p to 150.11p, a 13% increase)

• Diesel: up a staggering 35.3p per litre (from 142.38p to 177.68p, a 24.8% jump)

Diesel's outsized increase reflects the fuel's closer link to global wholesale markets and the particular disruption to refined product flows through the Strait of Hormuz, where the International Energy Agency says traffic has collapsed from its usual 20 million barrels per day. The IEA has called it the largest supply disruption in global oil market history. Cheery stuff.

Diplomacy or Wishful Thinking?

There have been glimmers of hope, if you squint. Donald Trump claimed talks with Iran were going "very well" and postponed further strikes until at least 6 April. However, Iran has flatly denied any direct negotiations with the US are taking place, which rather undermines the optimism. One analyst, reportedly from investment firm AJ Bell, suggested the statements coming from Washington and Tehran sounded like they originated in "parallel worlds." Hard to disagree.

This diplomatic fog is precisely why oil prices remain so volatile. Markets cannot price in a resolution when nobody can agree whether talks are even happening.

Motorway Services: A Special Kind of Pain

If you are planning an Easter road trip, brace yourself at the services. The RAC reports motorway unleaded at 166p per litre and diesel at 182p. At those prices, a coffee and a full tank might require a second mortgage.

Could It Get Worse? (Yes, Probably)

The RAC is projecting prices could rise further still, potentially reaching 152p for petrol and 185p for diesel in the coming weeks if the geopolitical situation does not improve. The Bank of England has already revised its CPI forecasts to between 3% and 3.5% for the second and third quarters of 2026, with energy prices cited as a key driver.

One small mercy: the temporary 5p per litre fuel duty cut remains in place until 31 August 2026, after which duty is set to rise for the first time in over 15 years. So enjoy the discount while it lasts, relatively speaking.

The Silver Lining (Sort Of)

RAC head of policy Simon Williams noted that current prices, painful as they are, remain well below the peaks seen after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when petrol hit roughly 191p per litre. So at least we are not there yet. Whether that counts as comfort depends entirely on how much driving you do over Easter.

The RAC Foundation estimates the conflict has already cost UK drivers hundreds of millions of pounds at the pumps. For most households, the practical advice is simple: fill up before the long weekend, compare prices locally, and avoid motorway services unless absolutely necessary.

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