From 26 Sept 2025CMA: 'deeply concernnig' rise in fuel marginsUK fuel retailers are hitting British motorists with historically high profit margins, new data shows.The fuel margins raked in by supermarkets, and other fuel retailers, rose in the last three months, the Competitions and Markets Authority reported this morning shows.The CMA says fuel margins remain “far” above historic levels.Its data shows that supermarket fuel margins stood at 4% in 2017, but more than doubled to an average of 8.4% in the first half of 2025. Non-supermarket fuel margins were 6.4% in 2017, but the first half of this year averaged 9.8%.The CMA says the increase in fuel margins is “deeply concerning” is that fuel margins – a key indicator of retailer profit – remain far above historic levels.Dan Turnbull, senior director of markets at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), says:
double quotation markOur new report shows that drivers across the UK have been paying more at the pump in recent months. While recent price rises are partly explained by an increase in the price of oil, what’s deeply concerning is that fuel margins – a key indicator of retailer profit – remain far above historic levels.
The Fuel Finder scheme we recommended to government will help combat this trend, pushing retailers to be more competitive as drivers are empowered with real-time pricing data – making shopping around easier than ever. Government aims to launch the scheme by the end of the year.
