July 2025 may not have been the most volatile month for UK fuel prices, but it was one of the most revealing.
While wholesale costs were steadier than in previous months, the sector faced a different challenge: ensuring supply continuity in the wake of the Prax Group’s collapse and the closure of the Lindsey Oil Refinery.
In many ways, it was a month-long stress test for the industry’s operational agility. And the results show just how far the UK fuel market has come in building resilience.
Wholesale Stability, Margin Pressure
Compared to July 2024, gross margins slipped from 12.51ppl to 11.81ppl, a 5.6% year-on-year decrease. Yet, retail volumes actually grew 0.6%, with the average site selling 261,167 litres compared to 259,600 litres last year.
This disconnect between price movement and demand shows that, for July, performance wasn’t driven purely by pricing power. Instead, operators had to rely on their ability to secure, source, and deliver fuel, especially in regions most exposed to the Lindsey closure.
A Mixed Picture across the UK
Regional performance data from EdgeData Pro paints a varied and often surprising picture. What’s happening in one part of the country can look very different from trends elsewhere, even within the same month.
This is why granular, site-level insights are so valuable. National averages can smooth over the peaks and troughs that operators on the ground are actually experiencing. With EdgeData Pro, you can drill down to see performance region by region, uncovering opportunities and challenges that broader reports simply can’t reveal.
From identifying areas of margin strength to spotting shifts in consumer behaviour, this level of detail helps businesses move beyond reactive decision-making and take steps to protect profitability and capture market share.
For a full regional breakdown and performance trends, download the July Report.
Resilience over Reaction
July’s stability in prices wasn’t the full story. The industry’s ability to adapt, sourcing fuel from alternative suppliers, increasing throughput at unaffected terminals, and maintaining clear communication with the public, was what prevented the kind of panic seen in 2021.
Real-time visibility into stock levels was key. National capacity dipped to around 40% at the lowest point, but rapid intervention saw supplies rebound by mid-month without major disruption at the pumps.
How EdgeData Helps Businesses Lead, Not Follow
At EdgeData, we deliver real-time insights into the UK fuel market, covering over 1,000 independent retailers with 98.5% accuracy compared to government data, but weeks faster.
For retailers, wholesalers, and investors, this means:
• Immediate reaction to market shifts — no waiting for delayed survey-based reports.
• Regional benchmarking — compare your performance against competitors and spot localised opportunities.
• Smarter pricing strategies — challenge outdated consumer perceptions with data-backed decisions.
With the launch of the EdgeData API, our customers can now integrate these insights directly into business intelligence (BI) tools like Power BI, Tableau, or Looker, unlocking a new level of flexibility and customisation, enabling teams to access and integrate EdgeData insights exactly how they need them.
Whether you’re looking to build bespoke reports or streamline performance tracking across multiple sites, the new API lets you enhance your reporting by connecting seamlessly with your existing BI tools.
In a market where resilience is as valuable as price competitiveness, having the right data at the right time isn’t just an advantage – it’s a necessity.
Download the EdgeData Pro Report here.
