UK forecourt diesel price up 40.5% since late February, Guardian says

The Guardian on 2 October 2026 asked people in the UK to share how the rising cost of diesel is affecting them, in a reader call-out published the same day the newspaper reported that the average price of diesel at UK forecourts had climbed to a record £2 a litre. “We would like to speak to people about the cost of diesel and how the increase is affecting them,” the newspaper said.

“The price of a litre at UK forecourts has risen 40.5% since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil products from the Gulf, leading to cost increases across the economy,” the Guardian reported.

The newspaper described diesel as “the single biggest cost for many independent traders and small business owners, powering transport, tools, machinery and services.” It called the fuel “the economic lifeblood for farmers, and logistics and haulage businesses.”

The call-out form asks respondents for their name and where they live, and invites them to share “a bit about yourself (e.g. age, background, what you do),” with that question optional.

The Guardian asks how the increase in diesel prices has affected each respondent, including whether they are “cutting back on driving or using machines or making savings in other areas,” and requests that they “include as much detail as possible.” The form accepts file uploads up to 5.7 MB.

The Guardian said responses can be anonymous and that the form is encrypted, and that only the Guardian has access to contributions. The newspaper said it will use the data only for the purpose of the feature and will delete personal data when it no longer requires it for that purpose. Contact details, the Guardian said, are helpful so it can contact respondents for more information, and they “will only be seen by the Guardian.” The newspaper asked respondents who include other people’s names to ask those people first.

For readers who prefer not to use the form, the Guardian pointed to its tips guide on getting in touch securely and listed WhatsApp at +447766780300, with its Secure Messaging service available for fully anonymous communication.