This BBC graphic (dated 9 June 2022) helps to illustrate what makes up the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol in the UK.

Overall, crude oil and wholesale costs account for around one-third of the price of a litre of petrol or diesel in the UK. Around half of the cost of a litre of fuel are taxes in the form of fuel duty and Value Added Tax (VAT). The remainder is the costs of running service stations (for example electricity, labour and maintenance costs), distribution costs and retailer’s profits.

Prices can vary between service stations for a number of reasons – including wholesale price, transporting the fuel to forecourts and service station operating costs. Shell is only legally able to control prices at company-owned sites, which constitute approximately half of the Shell-branded network in the UK. The other half of Shell branded service stations are owned by independent dealers who set their own prices. Shell is unable to comment on any pricing regarding Shell branded dealer-owned sites as per anti-trust laws.

All of that means that prices can and do vary by region and service station.

Diesel and petrol are independently traded products and their relative prices reflect global market supply and demand dynamics. During a year the price difference between the two products can vary significantly.

Fuel retailers like Shell typically make a few pence profit on every litre of fuel we sell in the UK. The market is highly competitive, and we are constantly balancing the wholesale prices of petrol and diesel and our own retail costs, including staff costs, rent, electricity, maintenance and marketing, with the level of competition in the local area and the number of customers visiting each site. We want customers to choose Shell for our quality and competitively priced fuel, as well as offer a convenient stop for other services.