The government’s £10m Fuel Finder scheme has already hit its first snag, with today’s scheduled registration launch pushed back until January 2026.
Industry insiders have told Forecourt Trader that registration will now open in “early January 2026” as the system is still undergoing reliability testing.
No specific date has been named, however, nor have retailers been informed whether the 2 February date by which all 8,279 UK filling stations must have registered with the scheme will be pushed back to reflect the registration delay.
Many operators, particularly those with large numbers of sites, are keen to register as early as possible to ensure software and online integrations work smoothly and run securely.
Instead of being greeted by a registration page when heading to the official gov.uk website address, operators are instead shown a browser message saying that the site’s server cannot be found.
An anonymous retailer told Forecourt Trader: “The Fuel Finder link not working is disappointing but hardly surprising. Another example of an inept government. I suspect whoever was meant to switch it on is probably off sick.”
Another, a Top 50 Indie commenting on the unworkable link, said: “It adds a lot of unneeded stress to operators especially over the upcoming Christmas period for a scheme that isn’t really needed.”
As recently as December 2 a minister from the government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) revealed there were still “a large number of technical issues to resolve” with Fuel Finder, and that “as with any major digital service rollout, there are delivery risks”.
VE3 Global, the private company that won the contract for Fuel Finder, has no prior experience working in the fuel retailing sector, while its registered address at Companies House is shared with a virtual office that offers hotdesking and and office-rental services.
Fuel Finder promises to save households £40 a year by creating a live, national database of petrol and diesel retail prices for motorists to consult, but some in the sector have questioned whether it will be effective, with one industry insider branding the project “a monumental waste of taxpayers’ money”
DESNZ and VE3 Global have been approached for comment.
This developing story has been updated with the latest information.
