Fuel prices on Google Maps: what it means for your business mileage and fuel costs

From 8 October 2026, drivers across the UK can see near real-time petrol and diesel prices directly in Google Maps and Waze. With diesel recently topping £2 a litre, that is welcome news for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road.

For business owners, sole traders and employees who drive for work, cheaper fuel is only half the story. How you claim, record and reclaim VAT on fuel has a direct impact on what those journeys really cost you. Here is what has changed, and what it means for your tax position.

What has changed?

The prices come from the government's Fuel Finder scheme, set up following a recommendation from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Since February 2026, every UK petrol station has been legally required to report a price change within 30 minutes or risk a fine.

Around 99% of all fuel sold on UK roads is now covered. The data already feeds apps such as Petrol Prices, the AA, Confused.com and RAC Fuel Watch, but bringing it into Google Maps and Waze puts it in front of millions more drivers.

To use it, simply search for "petrol" or "fuel" in either app and compare prices at nearby forecourts. The government estimates that shopping around could save a household with a car around £40 a year. For a business running several vehicles, or a sales team covering serious mileage, the saving could be considerably more.

Cheaper fuel and business mileage

How you benefit from lower pump prices depends on how your business travel is set up.

Using your own car for work. If you are an employee or director using a personal vehicle, you can be reimbursed tax-free up to HMRC's Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAP). At the time of writing this is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in a tax year and 25p per mile after that. The rate is fixed regardless of what you pay at the pump, so every penny you save on fuel stays in your pocket.

Driving a company car. HMRC's Advisory Fuel Rates (AFRs) set how much an employer can reimburse for business fuel, or how much an employee should repay for private fuel, without creating a tax charge. AFRs are reviewed every quarter and track average pump prices, so check the latest rates each quarter rather than relying on old figures. Getting private fuel wrong can trigger the car fuel benefit charge, which is rarely good value.

Sole traders and partnerships. If you use simplified expenses, you claim a flat mileage rate and fuel savings go straight to your bottom line. If you claim actual vehicle costs instead, lower fuel bills reduce your allowable expenses, but they still reduce what you actually spend.

Don't forget the VAT

If your business is VAT registered, you can usually reclaim VAT on fuel used for business journeys. The catch is that you need a valid VAT receipt, and the reclaim must reflect how the fuel is actually used.

Where a vehicle is used for both business and private driving, you generally have three options:

• Reclaim VAT on all fuel and pay the fuel scale charge to account for private use

• Reclaim VAT only on business fuel, backed by detailed mileage records

• Reclaim no VAT on fuel at all, which can make sense for very low business mileage

You can also reclaim VAT on the fuel element of mileage allowances paid to employees, as long as you hold VAT receipts covering that fuel. Comparing prices is a good habit, but make sure the forecourt you choose still gives you a proper VAT receipt.

Records matter more than ever

Whichever method you use, HMRC expects clear evidence behind every mileage claim. A good mileage log records the date, start and end points, purpose of the journey and miles travelled.

With Making Tax Digital for Income Tax now in place for many sole traders and landlords, keeping digital records as you go is no longer optional for those affected. A mileage app or a simple spreadsheet updated weekly is far easier than piecing journeys together at year end.

Quick wins for business drivers

• Check before you fill up. Search "fuel" in Google Maps or Waze before setting off, especially on longer trips.

• Avoid motorway services where you can. They are typically among the most expensive places to refuel.

• Keep every VAT receipt. No receipt means no VAT reclaim.

• Review your mileage policy. Make sure staff reimbursement rates and fuel arrangements are up to date and tax efficient.

• Check AFRs each quarter. If you run company cars, use HMRC's latest rates to avoid over or under reimbursing.

Fuel duty is also back in the headlines, with pressure on the Chancellor to delay planned increases next year. Whatever happens, small savings at the pump add up across a fleet or a year of client visits.

How Zyla can help

Finding cheaper fuel is the easy part. Making sure your mileage claims, company car arrangements and VAT reclaims are working as hard as they should is where an accountant adds real value.

Whether you are a sole trader logging client visits or a business running a fleet, Zyla Accountants can review your vehicle and fuel arrangements, check you are claiming everything you are entitled to, and keep your records ready for HMRC.

Get in touch with the Zyla team today to talk through your business travel costs.