fuel being taken without payment have increased by 20%
UK fuel theft has surged since the outbreak of the Iran conflict, with drivers stealing an estimated £194,000 worth of petrol and diesel every day.
Analysis from Forecourt Eye found incidents of fuel being taken without payment have increased by 20% in the five months since February 28, when the conflict in the Middle East disrupted oil supplies and pushed wholesale fuel prices higher.
The fuel theft prevention company estimated the value of stolen fuel has risen by 48% compared with the previous five months.
Its analysis is based on data from a representative sample of 550 forecourts, which was then extrapolated across the UK’s 8,359 petrol stations.
According to the figures, an estimated 2,872 fuel theft incidents now occur every day across the UK, up from around 2,400 before the conflict began.
These incidents include drivers leaving without attempting to pay, as well as customers claiming they have no way to pay after filling up.
The total volume of stolen fuel also increased by 24%, rising from an estimated 87,000 litres to 108,900 litres per day nationwide.
Forecourt Eye also warned that petrol station staff are facing growing levels of aggression.
The company said retailers are reporting an increase in “abuse, intimidation and violence from frustrated customers”.
In response, Forecourt Eye has announced a partnership with facial recognition company Facewatch, which will provide more than 2,000 retailers with free access to crime reporting technology from the autumn.
Fuel prices reached their highest point in April before easing after the US and Iran agreed to a framework deal in June aimed at ending the conflict.
However, prices have climbed again following the collapse of peace talks.
Last week, petrol reached its highest price since the Middle East conflict began and its highest level since 2022.
Forecourt Eye said it also recorded a spike in fuel theft after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in early 2022, suggesting higher fuel prices continue to coincide with increased forecourt crime.
The figures come as Chancellor John Healey said the government would intervene if there was evidence motorists were being overcharged because of the Iran conflict.
Healey said there was no significant evidence of price gouging but that the government would be “watching closely” for any suggestion the public were being “taken for a ride at the pump or the till”.
Earlier in 2026, former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and several ministers also indicated the government would step in if fuel retailers were found to be unfairly increasing prices.
Those comments prompted criticism from the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which rejected allegations of price gouging and described the government’s remarks as “inflammatory language”.
In May, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had found no widespread evidence of price gouging in the weeks following the outbreak of the conflict.
However, the watchdog confirmed it was investigating why fuel margins increased between February and March at two supermarkets and three non-supermarket fuel retailers.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said strong competition between supermarkets had kept fuel prices as low as possible rather than government intervention.
It added that retailers were also facing higher operating costs because of increased National Insurance contributions, higher packaging taxes and what it described as “outdated” business rates.
Andrew Opie, BRC director of food and sustainability, said:
“Despite these pressures, retailers will continue to do everything they can to deliver great value for customers.”
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