The much-vaunted Fuel Finder scheme is at risk of being delayed, with a minister from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero saying there remain “a large number of technical issues to resolve”, while hinting that the proposed rollout date could be missed.
Retailers will be able to register with Fuel Finder from December 18, and all forecourts must be signed up before the scheme is due to go live on February 2.
Speaking at a House of Lords Grand Committee, Lord Whitehead, Minister of State for DESNZ, said the scheme is still “subject to a lot of work”, and that “as with any major digital service rollout, there are delivery risks”.
The minister relayed that Fuel Finder is still undergoing government service assessment, a process that ensures new services meet their intended aims reliably and securely.
Fuel Finder passed the ‘alpha’ stage of its service assessment in August 2025 with a ‘green’ rating, and is scheduled to move into ‘public beta’ testing this month.
Lord Whitehead described the service-assessment process as “a critical milestone”, adding that while those involved in the scheme “are working hard to meet this requirement, any delay could affect the digital service being in place for the commencement date.” He added, though: “We’re actively managing these risks to keep the project on track”.
Fuel Finder has been subject to much industry criticism, with energy firm boss branding the scheme “a monumental waste of taxpayers’ money”. The project is set to cost £10m to run, with that split equally between government and businesses.
There is also concern among some in the industry that VE3 Global, which won the government contract to run Fuel Finder, has no prior experience in the sector.
Ministers are adamant the scheme is needed, though, predicting it will bring savings of £10.4bn across 10 years, with the £40 annual reduction in household bills it is projected to bring the UK described by Lord Whitehead as “a meaningful difference” that will bring “real relief”.
The minister was questioned by the Tory peer Earl Effingham, who was at pains to point out Fuel Finder was a Conservative idea, and questioned why, with just two weeks to go before forecourts can register with the scheme, no guidance or training materials had been published for retailers.
Earl Effingham said that this could lead to training being rushed through by forecourts, which could see “additional last-minute costs” being “passed onto the consumer”, which, he added, “is precisely what this instrument aims to prevent”.
Earl Effingham also asked why reporting fuel availability would not be one of the scheme’s requirements, saying: “It cannot be logical that a driver will be able to see a competitive price, but then be disappointed by an empty pump when they arrive at their destination.”
Lord Whitehead responded that the decision to remove the grade-reporting requirement from Fuel Finder was made after consultation with the fuel-retailing sector, but this feature could be implemented at a later date, saying it “might be something for the future” if “really practical difficulties can be resolved”.
