A British forecourt looks simpler than it is. Behind the three nozzles are three different products with three different labels — E10, E5 and B7 — and one of them is wrong for a minority of vehicles. This guide covers what each label means, which one your car needs, and what the three grades actually cost across the roughly 3,900 UK stations we track.
E10: the Standard Petrol Grade
E10 is the standard 95 octane petrol at UK forecourts. It became the standard grade in Great Britain in September 2021 and in Northern Ireland in November 2022. The name describes the blend: E10 contains up to 10% renewable ethanol, with the rest fossil petrol. The point of the blend is carbon, not performance — the government estimated the switch could cut transport CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year, which it described as the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road.
Ethanol carries slightly less energy per litre than petrol, so GOV.UK notes you may see a reduction in fuel economy of around 1% — and adds that this is unlikely to be noticeable in everyday driving, with driving style, under-inflated tyres and roof racks all mattering more.
Across the stations we track, E10 averaged 160.4p per litre when we measured on 16 August 2026, with individual sites ranging from 124.1p to 186.9p. That spread of more than 60p is the single most useful number on this page: the grade you choose matters far less than the forecourt you choose.
E5 Super Unleaded: the 97+ Octane Grade
E5 super unleaded contains no more than 5% ethanol and is sold at 97 octane or above. GOV.UK is explicit that E5 remains available in the ‘super’ grade at filling stations that sell two grades of petrol, and that drivers of vehicles not approved for E10 should continue to use it. Some rural, remote or very small stations may stock only one petrol grade, so it is worth checking before a long trip in an older vehicle.
We found a super unleaded price at 2,849 of the 3,884 UK stations in our data, averaging 177.9p per litre. That is about 17p above the E10 average — a meaningful gap if you are paying it by choice rather than necessity. Our E10 vs E5 super guide works through when that premium buys you something and when it does not.
Diesel: Unchanged, and Consistently Dearer
The E10 rollout did not touch diesel. Standard UK diesel is labelled B7 at the pump, reflecting its biodiesel content. There is no diesel equivalent of the E10 compatibility question — the labels changed, the fuel did not.
Diesel is the expensive grade in Britain, and by a wide margin. Across our tracked stations it averaged 184.1p per litre, roughly 24p above E10, with a range from 127.4p to 205.9p. Diesel cars typically travel further on a litre, so this does not automatically make diesel the more expensive fuel per mile — but it does mean the number on the price board will always look worse.
How to Read the Labels
Since the fuel labelling change, a circular E10 or E5 label appears on both the petrol dispenser and the nozzle, and vehicles manufactured from 2019 onwards should carry a matching label near the filler cap. If your car has no label, the government’s free E10 vehicle checker covers cars, motorcycles and mopeds. Where a vehicle is not listed — common for classic cars whose manufacturers no longer trade — GOV.UK advises sticking with E5.
One more thing worth knowing: GOV.UK confirms that using E10 has no bearing on whether you can drive in, or must pay to enter, a clean air zone, low emission zone or ULEZ. That is determined by your car’s Euro emissions standard, not by which nozzle you pick up. See our London fuel prices guide for how those charges do work.
What Is Actually in the Price
Whichever grade you buy, a large share of the pump price is tax. Fuel duty on unleaded petrol is 52.95p per litre until 31 December 2026, rising to 55.95p from 1 January 2027 and 57.95p from 1 March 2027 under the published rates, with final figures to be confirmed at Budget 2026. Diesel carries the same headline duty rate. VAT — currently 20% as the UK standard rate — is charged on top of the fuel and the duty together.
Because duty and VAT apply equally everywhere, retailer margin and local competition explain almost all of the difference between two forecourts. Our guide to saving on fuel and our motorway pricing guide both start from that fact.
Other Petrol-Powered Equipment
GOV.UK flags that some non-car equipment may not be compatible with E10, including boats and petrol-powered garden machinery such as lawnmowers and chainsaws. Owners of light aircraft using E5 MOGAS are advised to continue doing so unless expressly approved otherwise. For anything in this category, check the manual or ask the manufacturer rather than assuming.