Motorway service areas have a captive audience, and their prices reflect it. The difference is not a few pence — it can be a wide gap compared with nearby towns.
The size of the gap
On the same junction, it is common to see services at 165p while a supermarket nearby sells at 139p. That is a 26p gap.
What it costs
On a 55-litre tank that gap is £14.30. On an 80-litre van tank it is £20.80. For a driver filling up weekly, it is over £700 a year.
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Check the fuel grade, the reported price and its update time. Prices can change, so always confirm the pump price on arrival. Our finder marks motorway service areas and displays their reported prices alongside other stations.
Written by UKFuelPrices.uk, using open data from the UK Government Fuel Finder scheme. Last reviewed May 2026 · see our methodology.