From 2 February 2026, every petrol station in the North will be on the clock: pump price changes must be submitted within 30 minutes to a new national open data feed. Registration opened on 18 December 2025 so operators can file site details and current prices ahead of go‑live.

Government has appointed VE3 Global to run the platform-known in policy papers as Fuel Finder-so the data can be collected and pushed out reliably. The CMA published its final enforcement guidance on 18 December 2025, setting out how it intends to use its powers under the regulations.

For independents from Penrith to Pickering, the scheme is meant to be workable even with patchy rural connectivity. Price updates can be sent via web portal, SMS text or an automated phone line, alongside full API options for chains and tech‑savvy operators. The regulations also require the aggregator to offer these channels so stations aren’t locked out by poor broadband.

What the public will see is fresher data. The aggregator must keep a “price API” available at all times and refresh it within five minutes of a station reporting a change, plus publish twice‑daily downloadable snapshots for anyone registered to receive them.

Compliance has teeth. The CMA can issue compliance notices and levy penalties up to 1% of an undertaking’s worldwide turnover as a fixed amount, or 5% of daily worldwide turnover for each day a breach continues; criminal offences also apply for knowingly providing false information. Appeals go to the Competition Appeal Tribunal, and the watchdog’s published guidance explains its approach to enforcement under the scheme.

Why this matters here is price fairness. The CMA’s monitoring work has highlighted persistently high margins in parts of the market, and it plans ongoing quarterly updates-Fuel Finder data will feed that scrutiny across towns and rural stretches in the North.

What forecourts must lodge now includes who runs the site, where it is, when it opens, what grades it sells and the current pump price for each grade-plus a named contact for day‑to‑day reporting. For family‑run sites with just a couple of staff, that means agreeing who hits “send” when the pole sign changes and keeping contact details up to date so the data doesn’t stall.

For drivers and van fleets, expect price layers in maps, sat‑navs and comparison apps to refresh far more quickly. With near‑live prices, the cheapest litre in a wide patch-from the A66 to the A1 corridor-should be easier to find without the usual guesswork.

The early test will be whether the aggregator’s systems hold up on busy days and whether enforcement zeroes in on wilful non‑compliance rather than honest mistakes while small operators bed in new routines. We’ll be tracking how this plays out on Northern roads through spring.

Bottom line: transparent pricing should squeeze unjustified gaps between neighbouring pumps, but the design needs to work for remote forecourts as well as motorway giants. If it does, the North stands to benefit from real competition rather than postcode lottery pricing.