UK diesel prices have crossed £2 a litre for the first time, hitting an average of 200.01p, the RAC motoring group reported. Petrol prices also continue to climb, reaching 174.71p a litre on average.
The RAC said price rises are "showing no signs of slowing, heaping more misery onto motorists". Filling an average diesel car now costs £110, up nearly £32 since February when the US-Iran conflict began disrupting global oil production and refining. An average petrol tank costs £96.09, up £23.03 over the same period.
The Iran war has severely disrupted production and transportation of wholesale oil and refined products from the region, causing prices to surge worldwide. Ukrainian attacks on Russian refiners have further constrained diesel supplies on the world market, and China has also restricted exports of refined fuels.
The G7 agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of oil to counter further price increases and committed member countries to avoid export restrictions on each other. This move addressed concerns that US President Donald Trump's threatened ban on American diesel exports could have pushed global prices even higher before November's midterm elections.
RAC policy head Simon Williams called £2 a "price threshold no one wanted to cross", warning it will hit households, haulage firms, delivery companies, and sole traders particularly hard.
The impact extends beyond drivers. Farmer Mark Means, who has worked in Norfolk for over 50 years, said rising diesel costs leave him "frightened to death". He spent £50,000 on new diesel tanks to secure supply for harvesting and planting, but rising prices are eroding his margins. Driving instructor Steven Tompkins in Leicester said he must raise lesson prices because of fuel costs, which hurts students on tight budgets.
A UK government spokesperson said the country has "a diverse and resilient supply" and stressed there is no cause for concern about diesel shortages. Over half of UK diesel is imported, with less than a third of imports coming from the US, amounting to roughly 17% of total UK supply.