Refining Meltdown Pushes Diesel Toward £2/Litre — Government Still Silent as 40 Other Nations have Acted
CRANBROOK, UNITED KINGDOM, September 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Diesel Crunch Set to Worsen — FairFuelUK Warns of Sharp Pump Price Rises
FairFuelUK today warned that UK diesel prices are set to rise sharply as global refining capacity falls short of demand. Despite crude oil stabilising, diesel remains around 190p/litre, driven by record‑high refining margins and a tightening global supply chain.
With UK reserve cover at just 23–26 days, any further disruption — from Russian refinery outages to Persian Gulf shipping instability — will push pump prices even higher.
Diesel is rising because refineries cannot produce enough — not because crude is expensive.
Why refining is the problem:
• Russian refining capacity down ~30% due to strikes
• Russian diesel exports curtailed
• Persian Gulf refinery throughput down ~30% due to Hormuz disruption
• Europe already had a long‑term diesel deficit
• Global refining margins at four‑year highs (IEA)
The result: Diesel prices will rise even if crude stays stable. Likely UK pump price range If the refining crunch worsens, UK diesel could move into the 195–205p/litre range.
FairFuelUK founder Howard Cox said: “Diesel is the commercial heartbeat of any economy. Brent hitting $100 is bad enough, but the real danger now is the diesel refining crunch. Diesel prices aren’t rising because oil is expensive — they’re rising because the world can’t refine enough of it. That’s a structural crisis, and it means UK pump prices are about to surge sharply. We’re already near 190p a litre, and without urgent action, diesel could smash through £2 a litre, hammering motorists, hauliers, small businesses and the entire economy. More than 40 countries have stepped in to protect drivers and keep inflation down. The UK must do the same — or we’ll sleepwalk into another cost‑of‑living shock.”
More than 40 countries have already intervened with fuel tax cuts, subsidies or price caps since the Iran Crisis started. The UK has not. WHY???
FairFuelUK is calling for:
• A freeze on Fuel Duty for the lifetime of this Parliament
• A targeted diesel duty reduction
• Immediate implementation of PumpWatch
• A freight resilience plan to protect supply chains
For all inquiries, please contact us at:
howard@fairfueluk.com
07515421611
We are a public affairs team with no shareholders to satisfy, just an award-winning campaign representing the real concerns of hard-working motorists, families, small businesses, commercial drivers and hauliers across the UK. Decades of fiscal exploitation by successive Governments with little in return warrant the need for FairFuelUK.
FairFuelUK was founded by and is managed by the Campaign's CEO, Howard Cox.
Twitter @howardccox
Funding is provided through regular donations from supporters.
Previous backers have included Logistics UK, the RHA, the RAC, Association of Pallet Networks, UKLPG and others
Since 2010, FairFuelUK has saved drivers over £200bn in planned tax hikes in duty and VAT through constructive and objective campaigning. Now the immediate pressure group's focus is on stopping those unnecessary tax hikes based on a good-intentioned but flawed 'green' agenda. These include new taxes and bans on drivers entering our major cities, and potentially adding more costs on petrol and diesel drivers by the Treasury. These are new taxes that will not improve air quality, but simply hit consumers and the economy. There are ways to improve air quality without hitting consumers' pockets.
Current FairFuelUK Campaign Issues include:
Fuel duty, VAT on duty - PumpWatch and fuel price transparency - Effective ways to lower emissions but not through tax hikes - Stop the perennial demonisation of van drivers, hauliers and motorists - Quash ULEZ, LTNs, 15 minute areas - Scrap 2030 Ban on the sales of new diesel and petrol cars - More investment in UK roads similar to the level of HS2 spend - Establish a long term Government strategic roads transport plan - Halt unnecessary cash generating congestion zones and ULEZ expansion - VED and its future - Influence fairer future road user taxation plans and road funding with fuel duty revenue predicted to decline - Help role out new vehicle technology in a way that does not hit drivers in the pocket - Scrap hospital parking charges - Other related motoring costs and driving issues
FairFuelUK Campaign C/O
Equipcode Ltd
1 Rammell Mews
Cranbrook
United Kingdom
TN17 3BQ
Https://www.fairfueluk.com
FairFuelUK today warned that UK diesel prices are set to rise sharply as global refining capacity falls short of demand. Despite crude oil stabilising, diesel remains around 190p/litre, driven by record‑high refining margins and a tightening global supply chain.
With UK reserve cover at just 23–26 days, any further disruption — from Russian refinery outages to Persian Gulf shipping instability — will push pump prices even higher.
Diesel is rising because refineries cannot produce enough — not because crude is expensive.
Why refining is the problem:
• Russian refining capacity down ~30% due to strikes
• Russian diesel exports curtailed
• Persian Gulf refinery throughput down ~30% due to Hormuz disruption
• Europe already had a long‑term diesel deficit
• Global refining margins at four‑year highs (IEA)
The result: Diesel prices will rise even if crude stays stable. Likely UK pump price range If the refining crunch worsens, UK diesel could move into the 195–205p/litre range.
FairFuelUK founder Howard Cox said: “Diesel is the commercial heartbeat of any economy. Brent hitting $100 is bad enough, but the real danger now is the diesel refining crunch. Diesel prices aren’t rising because oil is expensive — they’re rising because the world can’t refine enough of it. That’s a structural crisis, and it means UK pump prices are about to surge sharply. We’re already near 190p a litre, and without urgent action, diesel could smash through £2 a litre, hammering motorists, hauliers, small businesses and the entire economy. More than 40 countries have stepped in to protect drivers and keep inflation down. The UK must do the same — or we’ll sleepwalk into another cost‑of‑living shock.”
More than 40 countries have already intervened with fuel tax cuts, subsidies or price caps since the Iran Crisis started. The UK has not. WHY???
FairFuelUK is calling for:
• A freeze on Fuel Duty for the lifetime of this Parliament
• A targeted diesel duty reduction
• Immediate implementation of PumpWatch
• A freight resilience plan to protect supply chains
For all inquiries, please contact us at:
howard@fairfueluk.com
07515421611
We are a public affairs team with no shareholders to satisfy, just an award-winning campaign representing the real concerns of hard-working motorists, families, small businesses, commercial drivers and hauliers across the UK. Decades of fiscal exploitation by successive Governments with little in return warrant the need for FairFuelUK.
FairFuelUK was founded by and is managed by the Campaign's CEO, Howard Cox.
Twitter @howardccox
Funding is provided through regular donations from supporters.
Previous backers have included Logistics UK, the RHA, the RAC, Association of Pallet Networks, UKLPG and others
Since 2010, FairFuelUK has saved drivers over £200bn in planned tax hikes in duty and VAT through constructive and objective campaigning. Now the immediate pressure group's focus is on stopping those unnecessary tax hikes based on a good-intentioned but flawed 'green' agenda. These include new taxes and bans on drivers entering our major cities, and potentially adding more costs on petrol and diesel drivers by the Treasury. These are new taxes that will not improve air quality, but simply hit consumers and the economy. There are ways to improve air quality without hitting consumers' pockets.
Current FairFuelUK Campaign Issues include:
Fuel duty, VAT on duty - PumpWatch and fuel price transparency - Effective ways to lower emissions but not through tax hikes - Stop the perennial demonisation of van drivers, hauliers and motorists - Quash ULEZ, LTNs, 15 minute areas - Scrap 2030 Ban on the sales of new diesel and petrol cars - More investment in UK roads similar to the level of HS2 spend - Establish a long term Government strategic roads transport plan - Halt unnecessary cash generating congestion zones and ULEZ expansion - VED and its future - Influence fairer future road user taxation plans and road funding with fuel duty revenue predicted to decline - Help role out new vehicle technology in a way that does not hit drivers in the pocket - Scrap hospital parking charges - Other related motoring costs and driving issues
FairFuelUK Campaign C/O
Equipcode Ltd
1 Rammell Mews
Cranbrook
United Kingdom
TN17 3BQ
Https://www.fairfueluk.com
Howard Cox
Equipcode Ltd
howard@fairfueluk.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.