Glossary
Pence Per Litre (PPL)
Direct Answer / TL;DR
What is Pence Per Litre (PPL)?
The standard unit for expressing UK fuel prices. All petrol and diesel prices are shown as pence per litre (p/L or PPL) on forecourt signs, price-comparison apps, and the UK Government's Fuel Finder API.
Why does it matter for UK drivers?
Pence per litre replaced the older 'price per gallon' notation in UK retail fuel as metrication progressed in the 1980s and 1990s. All UK service stations are legally required to display their pump prices in pence per litre.
As of mid-2025, typical UK petrol prices range from around 132–155p/litre depending on region and retailer type. Supermarket petrol tends to be 3–8p cheaper per litre than motorway services, and regional variation can add another 3–5p. Northern Ireland and rural areas typically see different pricing from the UK national average.
PPL is important for comparison because the absolute pence saving per litre, multiplied by your fill volume, gives your gross saving. For example, buying 45 litres at a station 6p/L cheaper than your nearest station saves £2.70 gross. But if you drove 4 miles out of your way in a 35 MPG car at 145p/L, the detour itself cost roughly 2.4 miles × 145p × 4.546 ÷ 35 = about 45p — meaning your net saving is approximately £2.25.
WorthThePump sources all pence-per-litre prices from the UK Government Fuel Finder API, which aggregates live prices from over 37,000 UK stations. Prices are updated approximately hourly and are provided by retailers voluntarily under the CMA transparency mandate.
Related terms
Further reading
Now you know what Pence Per Litre (PPL) means —
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