Petrol and diesel retailers will soon feed pump prices into a government-run open data service. The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025 phase in from 18 December 2025, with full reporting duties starting on Monday 2 February 2026 across the UK. From that date, any change to a pump price must be sent to the central service within 30 minutes. This sits within the Data (Use and Access) Act framework and applies to every petrol filling station, from supermarket sites to independents.

The system will be administered by an appointed “aggregator”, which the regulations describe as a third‑party recipient and interface body. The aggregator must keep an always‑on price API and also share twice‑daily “flat files”, enabling broad reuse by apps, maps, and analysts. Government’s consultation response, which branded the service “Fuel Finder”, confirms the API must reflect updates within five minutes of receipt to ensure near real‑time visibility.

Before the go‑live for reporting, every motor fuel trader has to register each forecourt. Registration covers trading and brand names, location coordinates, usual opening hours, facilities, grades sold and their prices, plus contact details for compliance. The aggregator then assigns a unique station number used in the data feed. Getting these basics right is not just form‑filling; they are the reference points that consumers and comparison tools will rely on.

Updating prices does not require expensive software on day one. The regulations require the aggregator to accept submissions via an online portal, SMS, an automated telephone system and an API. That mix is designed to bring small operators along while letting larger chains automate updates from head office systems. Forecourts can start simple and then move to API integration as processes mature.

Once live, the aggregator must publish access standards and can withhold data from recipients that break those rules. For retailers, that means your prices will sit alongside rivals on consumer‑facing services, with the API refreshed within five minutes of your update and flat files available twice daily. Expect fuel apps, satnavs and fleet tools to tap the feed quickly.

Compliance has teeth. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can issue compliance notices and, if needed, impose civil penalties: up to 1% of worldwide turnover as a fixed sum and up to 5% of daily worldwide turnover for each day a breach continues. Providing false information or obstructing access is also a criminal offence on summary conviction. Appeals run to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Why this matters for pricing strategy is straightforward: transparent, timely data tends to compress unjustified gaps. The CMA has flagged that fuel retailer margins in 2025 remained well above historic levels, with supermarket fuel margins averaging around 8.4% in H1 2025 versus roughly 4% in 2017, and some non‑supermarket margins higher still. This regime is the policy response aimed at sharpening local competition.

For independents, the risk is not just fines; it is being left out of the consumer’s short‑list if updates lag. The SMS and automated phone routes reduce the tech burden, but owners should still map forecourt workflows so prices are transmitted within minutes of a change at the pole sign. Supermarkets will likely automate via the API, but they will also be exposed to quicker price‑matching by rivals down the road.

There is upside for data businesses. With an open, free feed, expect rapid innovation in trip planning, fleet refuelling and consumer price alerts. Commercial offerings exist today-for example, TomTom’s Fuel Prices API updates roughly every 10 minutes and is not offered on a freemium basis-so a government‑funded open feed should widen access and lower costs for UK‑focused services.

What to do now is practical: complete registration data and check coordinates, facility listings and grade naming; nominate a responsible “reporter”; test your chosen submission route; and brief staff that price changes must be sent within 30 minutes from 2 February 2026. Watch for CMA enforcement guidance and the appointment of the aggregator. The regulations include a statutory five‑year review, so this scheme will be evaluated for impact.