The industry is calling for clarity from government on timelines for the upcoming Fuel Finder Scheme, after the registration portal failed to open as planned today (December 18, 2025).
Instead, registration will now open at some point in January, with no specific date provided, leaving fuel retailers with less than a month to register sites and set up mandatory price reporting systems.
The Fuel Finder Scheme will require retailers to report fuel price changes within 30 minutes and provide details on eight facilities and amenities, including Adblue pumps, Adblue packaged, LPG pumps, car washes, air pumps, water filling, 24-hour fuel, and customer toilets. The deadline for mandatory reporting of fuel prices currently remains February 2, 2026.
The PRA’s executive director Gordon Balmer says that he is disappointed that not only the date for registrations has been delayed, but also in the lack of communication given to petrol retailers. ”One of our members called me this morning to say that they had allocated time and resources to upload their details only to find that there was nothing there,” Balmer says.
The CMA has today published enforcement guidance for the Fuel Finder Scheme and has separately stated that between February 2 and May, its focus will be on helping businesses to comply with the new regime, rather than on enforcement action.
While the CMA will focus on supporting businesses during the first three months, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has warned that the shortened preparation window still poses major challenges for retailers.
ACS chief executive James Lowman says: “The delay to the launch of Fuel Finder Scheme registration portal will hamper fuel retailers’ preparations and readiness for reporting fuel prices changes in February. We need urgent clarity from the government about the readiness of the Fuel Finder Scheme so fuel retailers can press ahead with registering and reporting fuel prices.
“There is an unfortunate irony that in launching a system that requires fuel retailers to provide information within strict time windows, the government and the organisation running the scheme have missed their first deadline.”
The PRA’s Balmer says that he is in contact with the government to get further clarity on timings for the scheme.
