Soaring wholesale petrol and diesel prices are leaving fuel retailers with little option but to put up their own prices. But with traditional media regularly criticising the sector for its profits, many forecourt operators across the country are turning to social media in a bid to explain the situation.
Exelby Services, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire
Top 50 Indie Exelby Services began its most recent Facebook post by levelling with its customers that they “may have noticed significant differences in fuel prices between forecourts recently”, and that some online chatter had talked of “profiteering or price gouging”, before stating: “From our perspective, and I’m sure for many independent forecourts, that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Exelby explained that over the weekend it sold diesel at a loss for the first time ever, before raising its prices to 163.9p a litre just to allow the site to break even, before continuing with a detailed explanation of fortnightly purchasing contracts versus spot-purchasing, explaining how global oil prices could see the latter immediately rise.
G.W.Holmes & Son, Bishop Aukland, County Durham
The family-owned Jet forecourt and vehicle-repair business took to TikTok last week to tell its customers that it had full tanks, with unleaded locked in at 125.7ppl, and diesel 135.7p, until Monday 9 March 9.
Oasis Service Station, Long Riston, Yorkshire
Posting on its ‘Flash Delivery’ Facebook page, Oliver Blake’s Jet site shared on March 9 that while diesel was being sold at 141.9ppl, its unleaded tanks had temporarily run dry, with the tanker delivery due that evening resulting in unleaded being priced at 135.9p once the site had been replenished.
Fraser’s Budgens Three Mile Cross, Reading, Berkshire
Winner of Forecourt Trader’s Best Site Manager of the Year award 2025, Three Mile cross shared a no-nonsense explanation of the situation with customers on Facebook, thanking them for their loyalty before writing:
“Over the past few days, the wholesale cost of fuel - particularly diesel - has increased sharply, with prices jumping significantly in a very short space of time. For fuel retailers like us, margins are extremely tight, often only a few pence per litre.
“Like many independent forecourts, we work hard to keep prices as fair and competitive as possible for our customers. However, these increases may need to be reflected at the pumps in the coming days.”
Maple Leaf Garage, Bromyard, Hereford
This Essar liveried forecourt told its followers on Facebook:
We know that with everything going on, the cost of fuel continues to rise, and unfortunately it’s something that affects everyone. While increases are often inevitable across the industry, we want you to know one thing: We will always do our best to keep our prices as low as possible.
Fairway Service Station, Stone, Staffordshire
Having run out of fuel on Wednesday March 4, due to a cancelled delivery caused by “current market forces and supply issues”, Fairway kept its customers updated over Facebook, telling them the following evening that a tanker was on site and unloading, with the forecourt set to reopen imminently.
