New research has revealed the UK counties hardest hit by recent petrol price increases. No English county appears in the national top 10, with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales dominating the areas experiencing the steepest rises in unleaded fuel costs between 9 and 30 March.
According to automotive parts supplier Ovoko, unleaded petrol in Fermanagh rose from 132.7p–149.3p per litre during this period, a 12.5% increase. A 50-litre fill now costs £74.65, equivalent to 10.4% of the Northern Ireland median weekly wage of £716.
The study compared average unleaded prices across all UK counties and measured them against regional median wages published by the Office for National Statistics. It highlights how rural and remote areas, with fewer petrol stations and longer supply routes, have experienced particularly sharp and volatile price movements.
Top 10 UK counties by petrol price increases
- Fermanagh, Northern Ireland – 132.7p → 149.3p (12.5%). 50-litre fill: £74.65 (10.4% of weekly wage).
- Western Isles, Scotland – 139.2p → 155.6p (11.8%). 50-litre fill: £77.80 (10.0% of weekly wage).
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland – 133.7p → 148.8p (11.3%). 50-litre fill: £74.40 (10.4%) and Borders, Scotland – 135.8p → 151.2p (11.3%). 50-litre fill: £75.60 (9.7%) are equal.
- Antrim, Northern Ireland – 134.7p → 149.6p (11.1%). 50-litre fill: £74.80 (10.4%).
- Dyfed, Wales – 134.9p → 149.7p (11.0%). 50-litre fill: £74.85 (10.4%).
- Gwynedd, Wales – 136.4p → 151.3p (10.9%). 50-litre fill: £75.65 (10.5%).
- Down, Northern Ireland – 133.9p → 148.3p (10.8%). 50-litre fill: £74.15 (10.4%).
- Gwent, Wales – 136.3p → 150.7p (10.6%). 50-litre fill: £75.35 (10.5%).
- Tayside, Scotland – 137.6p → 152p (10.5%). 50-litre fill: £76 (9.8%).
- Mid Glamorgan, Wales – 135.1p → 149.1p (10.4%). 50-litre fill: £74.55 (10.4%).
Wales has four entries, Northern Ireland four, and Scotland two. No English county features.
Largest increases in english counties
- Merseyside, North West – 7.7%, £73 for 50 litres (9.9% of weekly wage).
- East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber – 7.5%, £74.35 (10.4%).
- West Midlands, West Midlands – 7.1%, £72.90 (10.0%).
- Tyne and Wear, North East – 7.0%, £72.70 (10.5%).
- West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber – 7.0%, £72.60 (10.2%).
- Greater Manchester, North West – 7.0%, £72.80 (9.9%).
- Lancashire, North West – 6.9%, £73.40 (10.0%).
- Greater London, London – 6.9%, £73.75 (8.2%).
The steepest wage burden among English counties is in Tyne and Wear. Greater London has the lowest wage burden in the study.
Areas with the smallest price increases
- Isle of Wight, England – 4.6%, £75.75 (9.3% of weekly wage).
- Orkney, Scotland – 4.6%, £73.70 (9.5%).
- Devon, England – 5.2%, £72.95 (9.9%).
- Cornwall, England – 5.6%, £74 (10.1%).
- Norfolk, England – 5.7%, £73.75 (9.2%).
- Three counties tied at 5.8%: Shropshire, Warwickshire, Bristol.
Rural areas see greater pressure
Kazimieras Urbonas, Supplier Excellence Manager at Ovoko, said: “The gap between the top and bottom of that table is enormous. Fermanagh’s costs had risen close to three times faster than the Isle of Wight’s over the same period, and a big part of that comes down to how fuel is supplied in more rural areas.”
He added: “You tend to have fewer petrol stations, less price competition and longer delivery routes, which all feed into higher and more volatile prices at the pump. When wholesale costs move, those increases often show up more quickly and more sharply.”
“These increases are also clustering in areas where wages are already lower and car dependency is higher. That combination is what really drives the pressure on households, rather than the price alone.”
Broader context
The findings come amid wider UK fuel price volatility linked to international events, including tensions in the Middle East that have pushed wholesale costs higher in recent weeks. Rural counties and devolved nations have borne a disproportionate share of the percentage rises.