Bosses from top comparison sites RAC and The AA will be among those meeting the Energy Affordability Minister Amanda Solloway to help share new fuel price data and keep costs down for motorists.
Price comparison sites and map apps will have access to this new data as part of the government’s PumpWatch initiative, which aims to drive down prices at the pumps. The scheme will look to make fuel prices, updated within 30 minutes of changes, available to the public by the end of this year.
Solloway said: “The government and tech firms are working together to make sure PumpWatch is a success, so we can put hard-earned pounds back in families’ pockets.”
Working with The AA, Confused.com, Go.Compare, PetrolPrices.com and RAC, the government is making sure the freely available data will be simple and easy to understand.
The data could be used by journey planning sites and in-car devices too, to help over 41 million drivers to help save money wherever they live in the UK.
Head of Roads Policy at The AA, Jack Cousens, said: “Bringing tech firms into the picture will help that process and lead to innovative use of the price data. An example of innovation is the Fuel Price Checker in Northern Ireland that allows drivers to see the towns offering the cheapest fuel. However, there is so much more that can be done with the data and bringing in the digital experts will hopefully unlock that.”
Chief Executive of Confused.com, Steve Dukes, added: “Encouraging fuel retailers to share up-to-date pricing information through the PumpWatch initiative will make a huge difference to drivers who are trying to manage costs.
“Naturally they may be tempted to go to their closest station. But being able to research cheaper pumps nearby could save a considerable amount of money when filling up. We hope that drivers having this transparency will only encourage retailers to be more competitive with their prices where they can.”
The meeting comes as the public have their last chance to provide their views on new rules that would mean fuel retailers must share fuel prices within 30-minutes of changes. The consultation closes at 11.59pm on 12 March 2024.
