British drivers are set to benefit from a new government scheme requiring fuel retailers to report pump price changes, making it easier to locate cheaper petrol and diesel.

From Monday, all filling stations must update their prices within 30 minutes of any alteration. This data will feed into the Fuel Finder database, accessible by third-party fuel-price apps and websites.

New government guidance also empowers drivers to report any discrepancies between forecourt prices and online figures.

The system for registering forecourts opened in early January, more than two weeks behind schedule.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said last month that “the focus will be on supporting businesses to comply with the new regime rather than enforcement action” until the start of May.

Creating a Government-backed Fuel Finder was one of the recommendations of competition regulator the Competition and Markets Authority in July 2023 after a detailed study of the sector.

AA president Edmund King: “For too long, UK drivers have been hostage to the whims of fuel retailers and not being able to see that a far-lower pump price could be found just down the road.

“Fuel station owners who priced below the artificially high levels of nearby rivals but had little way of getting that message out to potential customers now have the means to do so.

“Like in Austria, France and other parts of Europe, the AA believes a shake-up of UK pump prices will happen.

“Drivers will view them on mobile phones and smart devices … and will eventually choose where to buy cheaper fuel at the most convenient place by looking at the information screens in their cars.”

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “We hope this is the start of the journey to cheaper fuel prices around the UK.

“The Government has set up this scheme with the intention of increasing competition among retailers to give drivers better value at the pumps.

“As a growing number of the country’s 8,300 forecourts submit their prices on a daily basis, drivers will be able to easily find the cheapest forecourts near them using their favoured app or sat nav.”