Esso cheaper than Shell in 162 of 222 towns, official fuel data shows
Compared on the same streets, the supermarkets undercut every major brand, and Tesco was cheaper than Shell in 155 of the 165 towns that have both.
Drivers who fill up at Esso pay less than those at a nearby Shell in most of the country, according to an analysis of the prices forecourts are now legally required to publish.
Comparing forecourts in the same towns, Esso was cheaper than Shell in 162 of the 222 towns where both sell unleaded petrol, and Shell was cheaper in 42. The typical gap was 2.0p a litre. The analysis, by the data site British Fuel Prices, used the government’s Fuel Finder figures as at 27 September 2026. British Fuel Prices is published by Domain Farm Ltd, which also publishes Daily News Blog.
The widest gap was between the supermarkets and the oil company brands. Tesco was cheaper than Shell in 155 of 165 towns with both, typically by 5.0p a litre, which is about £2.75 on a 55-litre tank. Tesco was also cheaper than Esso in 184 of 199 towns, typically by 3.0p.
Shell and BP were close. BP was cheaper in 108 of the 203 towns that have both brands, but the typical difference was half a penny.
Why town by town
National averages flatter some brands and punish others. Across the UK, unleaded averaged 171.0p at Tesco, 171.7p at Asda, 172.4p at Morrisons and 172.5p at Sainsbury’s, against 174.9p at Esso, 176.6p at Shell and 177.0p at BP.
But those averages mix price with location. BP runs 83 motorway service area forecourts and Shell 17, while the supermarkets run none, and motorway sites charge far more. Comparing brands only where both are present takes location out of the comparison.
| Brand | Forecourts | Average unleaded | Average diesel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco | 516 | 171.0p | 195.5p |
| Asda | 321 | 171.7p | 195.6p |
| Morrisons | 340 | 172.4p | 197.5p |
| Sainsbury’s | 316 | 172.5p | 196.7p |
| Texaco | 489 | 173.1p | 198.7p |
| Esso | 1,439 | 174.9p | 200.5p |
| Shell | 860 | 176.6p | 200.3p |
| BP | 1,000 | 177.0p | 202.0p |
Where the figures come from
Since February 2026, every filling station in the UK has had to report its prices to the government’s Fuel Finder scheme within 30 minutes of a change. The comparison uses only forecourts that had reported within the previous 14 days, and only towns where both brands had at least one such forecourt.
The full town-by-town comparison, and a price map for every town, is at britishfuelprices.co.uk.