CBE Helps UK Fuel Retailers Stay Ahead with Fuel Finder
The UK fuel retail sector is entering a new era of transparency. Since legislation surrounding the UK’s new Fuel Finder scheme came into force on 1 February, fuel retailers have been required to submit up-to-date pump prices to a central platform designed to help consumers compare prices more easily and improve trust across the industry. Following a three-month implementation period, businesses are now under increasing pressure to ensure requirements are being met as enforcement ramps up.
For operators with one site, keeping pricing data current may be manageable. For retailers managing dozens of forecourts, however, the challenge is far greater. That is where CBE has stepped in, providing an end-to-end, automated, real-time solution designed to simplify the process and improve accuracy.
According to Clive Hughes, Director UK at CBE, the response from the industry has been significant. “More than 70% of our UK petrol station customer base is already using the new Fuel Finder integration. Retailers understand the importance of getting this right, but equally they don’t want or need additional pressure placed on already stretched teams. Our role is to make the process simple and seamless.”
Fuel Finder has been introduced to improve pricing transparency for UK motorists by ensuring retailers regularly publish fuel prices to a central system. For many operators, the regulation introduces an entirely new administrative process. Without automation, sites must manually log on and submit pricing updates through digital portals, SMS or other approved methods every time prices change. A single update can take at least five minutes per site, meaning for businesses operating at scale, the time commitment and potential for human error can quickly add up.
Take the example of the Ascona Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent forecourt operators, with 69 sites across the country. “We have been very happy to comply with the new regulations, we joined the early adoption scheme and were posting prices daily” says Geoff Harding, Head of Fuel Development & Strategy at the Ascona Group. “But Fuel Finder did bring another layer of complexity to our business and we knew we needed an automated system with all the bells and whistles to make it work effectively.”
Rather than introduce another third-party process, Ascona sought a solution that would integrate directly into existing workflows. “We looked at a few partners, but ultimately we partnered with CBE because they could take pricing directly through our existing till systems. Our thoughts were, why bring in another layer when you can automate it through an existing partner who we already have an excellent relationship with?”
“If we were manually updating all 69 sites every time prices changed, that becomes a huge operational challenge. Labour is already at a premium, both from a cost and availability perspective, so automation was really important for us.”
Importantly, the consequences of getting it wrong could be detrimental. Industry guidance suggests penalties could reach up to 5% of global turnover for serious non-compliance, a potentially substantial and damaging cost for operators managing multiple sites and wider business interests.
For Ascona, CBE’s responsiveness has proven particularly valuable during the rollout of a still-evolving regulatory framework. “As part of the early adoption scheme, there was a lot of due diligence,” Harding says. “Like any new scheme, there have been changes and technical updates along the way. Since onboarding with CBE, they have adapted quickly to those changes without issue. They listened to our concerns, stayed transparent and supported us (24/7) as things evolved.”
That support mattered for a fast-moving business like Ascona, which employs around 900 staff and operates forecourts that often sit at the heart of local communities and incorporates everything from convenience retail and food partnerships to garages and ancillary services.
“As a provider, we welcome anything that improves consumer confidence in our brand and product. We work hard to offer strong value for customers and transparency around pricing is at the forefront of that.”
For fuel retailers still navigating Fuel Finder requirements, Hughes believes the message is simple. “Everyone in the UK fuel market needs to be ready for these new requirements. Whether you’re a single-site operator or a national network, we are here to make the process as easy as possible, so operators can focus on running their businesses while consumers are better informed when choosing where to fill up.”
