Fuel Finder draft guidance on the CMA’s enforcement functions

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) purpose is to help people, businesses and the UK economy by protecting competition and tackling unfair behaviour.

The CMA is consulting on draft guidance in relation to its new enforcement functions under The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025 (‘Regulations’) which are currently subject to the affirmative procedure before Parliament.

We are planning to publish final guidance on or before the commencement of the Fuel Finder scheme established under the Regulations. Fuel Finder is scheduled to launch at the end of 2025, subject to Parliamentary scrutiny of the Regulations.

We want to hear from you

The CMA welcomes views from stakeholders on our approach to our Fuel Finder enforcement functions, as set out in the draft guidance.The information stakeholders provide in response to this consultation will help inform our enforcement guidance for motor fuel traders.

The CMA welcomes responses to this consultation from all interested stakeholders and, in particular, from motor fuel traders (MFTs). MFTs will be required to register with Fuel Finder and report price changes under the Regulations. The CMA has the statutory role of enforcing compliance by MFTs with their obligations under the Regulations.

We are inviting interested parties to provide views on the following questions:

• do respondents have any comments on the CMA’s proposed targeted and proportionate approach to enforcement?
• do respondents view the balance of informal and formal action to be appropriate?
• do respondents have any comments on the factors we propose to take in to account when considering penalties?
• do respondents have any comments on the CMA’s proposed approach to complaints relating to the exercise of the CMA’s functions under the Regulations?
• is the guidance clear on the CMA’s proposed approach? If not, where would further clarification be helpful?

Responding to our consultation

You can submit your response by email to roadfuel.monitoring@cma.gov.uk.

This consultation will run from 13 October 2025 to 5pm on 3 November 2025.

If your response contains any information that you regard as sensitive and that you would not wish to be published, please provide a non-confidential version for publication on our website which omits that material and which explains why you regard it as sensitive at the same time.

What happens next

This page will be updated when the CMA has considered the responses received.

We will publish non-confidential versions of responses on our website. Respondents will be notified when they are available.

We will analyse responses and the CMA will take these into account when finalising our guidance.

Your personal data

Any personal data you provide to us through CMA Connect (such as your name and contact details) will be handled in accordance with our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our personal information charter set out the standards you can expect from us when we collect, use or share personal data and provides details of your rights in relation to that personal data and how to contact us.