The Competition and Markets Authority has sent “hundreds” of warning letters to forecourt operators who have yet to register with Fuel Finder, and says it is set to issue fines to operators that have not signed up to the mandatory scheme.
The latest set of Fuel Finder data indicates that some 760 petrol stations – equivalent to almost 10% of the sector – have yet to register with the scheme, despite having been legally mandated to do so since February 2.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, told Forecourt Trader: “All retailers must register and provide accurate data — we will take enforcement action where they do not.”
The watchdog has the power to fine firms up to 30% of their turnover for not adhering to the rules, while after focussing on compliance for the first three months of the scheme being active, the CMA began enforcing Fuel Finder on May 1. The body said that “as a first step” to ensuring compliance it has “sent warning letters to hundreds of forecourts that have yet to sign up to the scheme”.
The issue appears to largely concern smaller forecourts, with 37% of unregistered sites having two pumps or fewer, 16% having no shop and 30% having no canopy, while 86% are not part of any retail group, independent or otherwise.
Some, however, are large forecourts: 108 unregistered sites cover between 2,000 and 4,000 m2 (21,500-43,000sq ft), while 52 span over 4,000m2.
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, says he finds it “surprising” that almost 10% of forecourts are unregistered with Fuel Finder, and questioned if some fault could lie with the system itself:
“This figure needs to be checked as some of our members have alerted us to being in receipt of a letter from the CMA advising them that they are not complying when they can prove that they are. I have written to the government pointing this out and am awaiting their response.”
