“We’re particularly concerned by high margins which indicate weakened competition and are not a good sign for drivers,” the Competition and Markets Authority said this year. Westminster has now put legal muscle behind price transparency: the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025 have taken effect, with full live price reporting due from Monday 2 February 2026. For northern motorists who’ve long paid more away from London and the motorways, this is overdue.

What the law does is simple. Every petrol station in the UK must register with a government‑appointed aggregator, then push any pump price change for petrol or diesel within 30 minutes. The aggregator must update its public API within five minutes, so apps, satnavs and local websites can show live prices. Parts of the system started on 18 December 2025; the live price feed starts 2 February 2026.

DESNZ has already named the tech firm running the back‑end. VE3 Global has the contract to operate Fuel Finder, the national service that will publish the data free for third parties to use. Expect this to feed straight into the tools drivers already use on their phones and dashboards.

For small‑town and rural forecourts, the rules are designed to be workable. Stations get a unique site ID and can submit prices via an online portal, SMS text, an automated phone line, or an API. That matters in places where broadband is patchy and teams are lean.

Enforcement sits with the CMA. Retailers who don’t comply can receive compliance notices and significant penalties: up to 1% of worldwide turnover as a fixed fine, or up to 5% of daily worldwide turnover for each day of non‑compliance. There’s also a criminal offence for obstructing access to information, and appeals go to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Will it move prices on the forecourt boards in the North? The CMA’s own monitoring shows retailers’ margins remain well above historic levels, costing drivers an estimated £1.6bn in 2023. The watchdog says live data is needed to revive competition and bear down on those margins.

There’s clear regional relevance. RAC figures show Northern Ireland routinely undercuts Great Britain, with end‑of‑month averages last year around 6–7p per litre cheaper than the UK average. England has tended to be priciest. Better data should expose those gaps day by day, town by town.

Industry voices in the North are split. The Petrol Retailers Association says independents-who run most local sites-support transparency but want a smooth rollout: “These smaller, independent forecourts operate as a crucial part of local communities,” said executive director Gordon Balmer. Others warn about extra admin and costs if reporting windows are too tight.

Fuels Industry UK backs transparency but urged ministers to keep the burden down and questioned whether an aggregator is needed at all. Chief executive Elizabeth de Jong said consumers should have access to clear price information, but cautioned against piling disproportionate costs on retailers. DESNZ’s consultation response notes that 80% of respondents supported a 30‑minute reporting window.

There’s a very practical northern angle on travel savings. The AA’s analysis this spring found motorists on the M6 around Lancaster could save more than a tenner on a 55‑litre fill‑up by choosing wisely just a few junctions apart-proof that transparent local data can pay off on long runs across the Pennines or down to the M62.

What happens next? The aggregator will publish guidance for stations and open the API to developers. Forecourts across the North should get their registrations in, check grade listings, train staff on the 30‑minute rule and test whichever submission route suits their site. From 2 February, every price change has to be in the system-so drivers can finally see what’s fair without driving around to find it.