MFG vs BP: which is cheaper?

Today’s head-to-head on price, network size and coverage, read live from every MFG and BP forecourt reporting to the government Fuel Finder scheme.

Too close to call today

MFG and BP are priced within a fraction of a penny of each other nationally today. At that distance the brand is not the variable that matters — the gap between two individual forecourts in the same town is routinely ten times larger.

Per tank
Per year
UK median
£1.70

Head to head

Live across every reporting forecourt. Green marks the better figure.

MeasureMFGBP
Petrol (E10)median across the network171.9p
Diesel (B7)median across the network193.9p
Super unleadedwhere sold191.2p
Cheapest forecourtlowest petrol price in the network157.9p
Dearest forecourt195.9p
Spread across sitesdearest minus cheapest38.0p
Forecourtscurrently reporting a price01079
Regions coveredof twelve UK regions012
Motorway sites084

The row worth dwelling on is the spread. MFG sites range across and BP across 38.0p. Both are far wider than the gap between the two brands, which is the whole argument for checking the forecourt rather than trusting the sign — see what is actually near you.

How the gap has moved

Daily network averages for both chains, on one scale.

We record one average per brand per day and keep ninety days of it, so this chart fills in as the history builds. There is not yet enough of it for either chain to draw an honest line — a two-point chart implies a trend that has not been measured. In the meantime, the national price history goes back to 2018.

Where each brand actually is

Forecourts by UK region. A cheaper chain is only cheaper if it has a site near you.

MFG0/12 regions

Coverage data is still being built for this brand.

BP12/12 regions
South East
187
East of England
143
North West
110
Scotland
105
Yorkshire and The Humber
94
East Midlands
89

Coverage shape explains most of what looks like a price difference. Fuel is cheaper in some regions than others regardless of brand, so a chain weighted towards the cheaper ones shows a lower national average without any of its sites pricing unusually. Compare the regions to see how large that effect is.

What you are choosing between

Ownership, loyalty and premium grades.

MFG
Independent network

Britain's largest independent forecourt operator, running its own brand and several major ones.

OwnerMotor Fuel Group, owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
LoyaltyNo national scheme
PremiumStandard grades only
On pricePriced against local competition site by site rather than to a national policy.
BP
Oil major

A British oil major with one of the largest UK forecourt networks, priced above the supermarkets.

OwnerBP plc, with many sites run by dealers and by Motor Fuel Group
LoyaltyBPme Rewards
PremiumBP Ultimate
On priceAbove the supermarkets nationally, with wide site-to-site variation — the individual forecourt matters more than the brand.

Which should you use?

On today’s numbers the two are close enough that the national comparison does not decide anything. The question that does decide it is distance. A litre saved is only worth having if you did not burn the saving getting there: the break-even calculation is a single division, and for most cars a detour of more than a couple of miles eats a two-pence saving whole.

BP carries a loyalty scheme (BPme Rewards) and MFG does not, which is worth a penny or two of effective price to anyone who actually redeems. Beyond that, the fuel itself is the same specification at both — what actually differs between supermarket and branded fuel is the additive package, not the base product.

Cheapest forecourt of each right now

Lowest petrol price in each network today.

Common questions

Is MFG or BP cheaper for petrol?

MFG and BP are priced within a fraction of a penny of each other today, so neither is meaningfully cheaper nationally. Which one is cheaper for you depends entirely on the individual forecourts within reach.

How much would switching between MFG and BP save in a year?

Almost nothing on today's prices — the two chains are within a fraction of a penny of each other. The saving worth chasing is between individual forecourts, which can differ by ten pence or more in the same town.

Does MFG fuel differ from BP fuel?

Standard E10 petrol and B7 diesel are the same specification wherever you buy them — they meet the same British Standard, and are frequently refined and delivered by the same companies regardless of the sign on the forecourt. What differs is the additive package blended in at the terminal, which is where premium grades and branded formulations come in. For an ordinary car on ordinary journeys, the manufacturer's handbook is the authority on whether that is worth paying for.

Which has more forecourts, MFG or BP?

BP has more: 1079 forecourts currently reporting a price against 0. MFG covers 0 of the twelve UK regions and BP covers 12. Network size matters more than the headline price for most drivers — a chain that is two pence cheaper but forty minutes away is not cheaper.

How often are these prices updated?

Both chains report every price change to the government Fuel Finder scheme, which has required a report within thirty minutes of a change taking effect since February 2026. The figures here refresh throughout the day from that feed.

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