Unpaid fuel incidents jump 19% amid rising pump prices
New figures from the British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS) have shown that incidents of unpaid fuel at petrol forecourts increased by 19% during March as higher pump prices drove a renewed rise in forecourt crime.
BOSS said its Forecourt Crime Index reached 219 in the first quarter of 2026, up 4% on the previous three months. This means there has been an upward trend since the third quarter of last year following a prolonged decline in 2024 and early 2025.
Subscribe to TRBBOSS data also shows that 65% of Drive-Off-Failure-to-Pay incidents involve motorists entering a forecourt shop but leaving without paying for fuel, highlighting the need for strong in-store procedures and staff vigilance.
The rise in non-payment coincides with sharp fuel price increases following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East at the end of February. Average petrol prices climbed from £1.372 per litre in Q4 2025 to a peak of £1.583 in April, while diesel rose from £1.466 to £1.915 per litre.
With unpaid fuel incidents now averaging £60.16 per case, BOSS estimates forecourts face potential losses of more than £12,000 per site annually, which could cost the industry more than £100 million a year.
Claire Nichol, executive director at BOSS, said: “As fuel prices rise, we consistently see an increase in unpaid fuel incidents. At current prices, deliberate non-payment is costing the forecourt sector more than £100m a year.”
“Operators should be particularly vigilant during busy periods and alert to customers making small purchases without declaring fuel.”
The not-for-profit organisation said retailers using BOSS Payment Watch recorded a small reduction in unpaid fuel reports during the past 12 months.
