How much petrol per mile?
About 19.8p a mile in a 40 mpg petrol car, at the UK average pump price of 174.07p a litre (GOV.UK, week of 26 October 2026). A 50 mpg car uses 15.8p a mile and a 30 mpg car 26.4p.
Diesel at 199.22p a litre works out at 20.1p a mile at 45 mpg. An electric car charged at home at the Ofgem price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh costs about 7.5p a mile at 3.5 miles per kWh.
Pence per mile = price per litre × 4.546 ÷ mpg. Put your own car's figures in below.
UK average, week of 26 October 2026
Ofgem cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026
This calculator gives an estimate, not financial advice. For decisions about your own money, check with a qualified adviser or HMRC.
The Budget changes were announced on 28 October 2026. Some details are still being confirmed and may change before they take effect, and we update this page as they do.
The price you're paying
Petrol is up 39.67p a litre on a year ago.
At 40 mpg, that's 4.5p more for every mile than in October 2025. Prices update weekly from DESNZ.
UK petrol, pence per litre
174.07p
+39.67p on a year ago
Petrol and diesel cost per mile by mpg
| mpg | L/100km | Petrol per mile | Diesel per mile | Petrol, 100 miles | Diesel, 100 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mpg | 11.3 | 31.7p | 36.2p | £31.65 | £36.23 |
| 30 mpg | 9.4 | 26.4p | 30.2p | £26.38 | £30.19 |
| 35 mpg | 8.1 | 22.6p | 25.9p | £22.61 | £25.88 |
| 40 mpg | 7.1 | 19.8p | 22.6p | £19.78 | £22.64 |
| 45 mpg | 6.3 | 17.6p | 20.1p | £17.59 | £20.13 |
| 50 mpg | 5.6 | 15.8p | 18.1p | £15.83 | £18.11 |
| 55 mpg | 5.1 | 14.4p | 16.5p | £14.39 | £16.47 |
| 60 mpg | 4.7 | 13.2p | 15.1p | £13.19 | £15.09 |
At 174.07p a litre for petrol and 199.22p for diesel: UK average pump prices for the week of 26 October 2026, from the DESNZ weekly road fuel prices. Prices at your local forecourt will differ by a few pence, and supermarket sites are usually cheapest.
Electric car cost per mile
| Efficiency | Home charging | Public rapid | 100 miles at home | 100 miles rapid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mi/kWh | 8.8p | 26.3p | £8.77 | £26.33 |
| 3.5 mi/kWh | 7.5p | 22.6p | £7.52 | £22.57 |
| 4 mi/kWh | 6.6p | 19.8p | £6.58 | £19.75 |
Home: 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap average electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (Direct Debit, no VAT on electricity in this period). An off-peak EV tariff can cut this by more than half. Public rapid: 79p per kWh, the Zapmap pay-as-you-go average for 50kW and faster chargers, September 2026.
What common journeys cost in fuel
| Journey | Petrol, 40 mpg | Diesel, 45 mpg | EV at home | EV rapid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100-mile trip, or a week of 10-mile commutes each way | £19.78 | £20.13 | £7.52 | £22.57 |
| 100 miles there and back, or a week of 20-mile commutes each way | £39.57 | £40.25 | £15.04 | £45.14 |
| A year of 10-mile commutes each way (260 days, 5,200 miles) | £1,029 | £1,047 | £391.04 | £1,174 |
| A year at the average 7,100 miles | £1,405 | £1,429 | £533.92 | £1,603 |
EV figures assume 3.5 miles per kWh. The average car in England covered 7,100 miles in 2025 (DfT National Travel Survey, table NTS0901). For a 100-mile trip broken down by car type, see the 100 miles fuel cost guide.
Return trips and splitting the cost
Set the trip to Return and the calculator doubles the distance, so you can enter the one-way mileage from a map. To split the cost, put in the number of people sharing, including the driver. Fuel is the cost most lifts are split on; wear and tear, insurance and parking come on top.
For example, a 45-mile drive each way to an airport in a 40 mpg petrol car is 90 miles in total. At 19.8p a mile that is £17.81 in fuel, or £5.94 each for three people.
How much of the pump price is tax
Fuel duty is a fixed 52.95p a litre on petrol and diesel. VAT at 20% is then charged on the whole price, duty included, so VAT is one sixth of what you pay.
| Per litre | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| Average pump price | 174.07p | 199.22p |
| Fuel duty | 52.95p | 52.95p |
| VAT (20%) | 29.01p | 33.20p |
| Total tax | 81.96p (47%) | 86.15p (43%) |
The Budget on 28 October 2026 kept the 5p duty cut until 30 June 2027. From 1 July 2027 the rate is set to be 60.59p a litre. With VAT on top, that adds 9.17p to a litre if nothing else changes: about 1.0p a mile in a 40 mpg car, or £73.98 over a year of 7,100 miles. For your own mileage, mpg and tank size, use the fuel duty rise calculator.
Duty rates: Budget 2026, Overview of Tax Legislation and Rates, Annex A. More on how duty is set, red diesel and the history of the rate in our UK fuel duty guide.
How to calculate fuel cost
Petrol and diesel (mpg)
A UK gallon is 4.546 litres. Divide the distance by your mpg to get gallons, convert to litres, then multiply by the pump price. US gallons are smaller (3.785 litres), so mpg figures from American sites will not match.
Petrol and diesel (L/100km)
Many newer cars and European spec sheets show litres per 100km. The calculator accepts either; pick L/100km next to the fuel economy box.
Electric cars
Most EVs manage 3 to 4 miles per kWh in mixed driving, less in winter and at motorway speeds. Home charging at the price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh is far cheaper than public rapid charging at around 79p.
Real-world mpg
Official mpg figures come from a lab test. Most drivers see 10 to 20% less, more on short trips and in cold weather. The trip computer or a brim-to-brim fill-up gives you a better number to use.
Claiming business mileage
If you use your own car for work, HMRC's approved mileage rate for 2026/27 is 55p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p after that. It is meant to cover running costs as well as fuel. Work out a claim with the mileage allowance calculator.