2. Headlines

The latest hydrocarbon oils headline statistics are:

• the provisional year-to-date (April to December) total for hydrocarbon oils receipts during the 2024 to 2025 financial year is £18,621 million, £243 million (1.3%) lower than the same period during the previous financial year

• the provisional year-to-date (April to December) total for petrol receipts during the 2024 to 2025 financial year is £7,164 million, £260 million (3.8%) higher than the same period during the previous financial year

• the provisional year-to-date (April to December) total for diesel receipts during the 2024 to 2025 financial year is £11,251 million, £503 million (4.3%) lower than the same period during the previous financial year

• total hydrocarbon oil receipts for 2024 decreased by £320 million (-1.28%) compared to 2023, primarily due to a £646 million (-4.15%) reduction in diesel receipts, which was partially offset by a £325 million (3.58%) increase in petrol receipts

3. About this release

This HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publication provides quarterly provisional National Statistics of receipts and quantities released for consumption for excise duty charged on fuels and oils. National Statistics are accredited official statistics.

Duty is charged when motor and heating fuels and oils are produced, imported or used in the UK. These statistics include data for hydrocarbon (mineral) oils, biofuels, fuel substitutes and fuel additives.

These statistics report trends for tax liabilities and payments (receipts) by hydrocarbon oil traders. This is done by reporting levels of goods made available for consumption after passing through a duty point, as this is the point at which duty is payable to HMRC.

The statistics in this release are based on data from recent and historic trader returns up to and including December 2024. Detailed statistics on clearances and receipts are provided in the accompanying tables.

4. Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Impacts from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and public health measures in response are particularly visible within changing trends to receipts collected for hydrocarbon oils during the 2020 to 2021 financial year.

Go to coronavirus (COVID-19) for the latest coronavirus information and guidance.

5. Monthly hydrocarbon oils receipts

Total excise duty receipts are calculated by summing together excise duty receipts from all types of diesel, petrol, and other oils duties.

Figure 1: Total hydrocarbon oils receipts by month during the current and previous 2 financial years, in £ million.

Figure 1 demonstrates several trends for total hydrocarbon oils receipts:

• total hydrocarbon receipts for the period from October to December 2024 decreased by £214 million (-3%) compared to the same period in 2023. This decline was primarily driven by a £267 million (-7%) reduction in diesel receipts and a £4 million (-115%) decrease in fuel oil receipts. While gas oil receipts increased by £13 million (28%), the overall trend remains negative when compared to the previous year

• hydrocarbon receipts for the third quarter of the 2024–2025 financial year decreased by approximately 3.3% compared to the same quarter in the 2023–2024 financial year, demonstrating a slight decline in receipts during this period

For the full dataset underlying Figure 1 and these statistical headlines go to Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin tables (October 2024 to December 2024).

6. Petrol and diesel excise duty receipts

6.1 Petrol excise duty

Total petrol excise duty receipts are calculated by summing together excise duty receipts from several different motor spirits, over 90% of which is unleaded petrol.

Figure 2: Petrol excise duty receipts by month during the current and previous 2 financial years, in £ million.

Figure 2 demonstrates several trends for petrol receipts:

• the provisional previous quarter (October 2024 to December 2024) total petrol receipts are £2,422 million, which is £54 million (2%) higher than the same period during the previous financial year

• receipts for the first quarter of the 2024–2025 financial year are in line with receipts for the previous two financial years. In the second quarter, receipts increased by approximately 7% compared to the same quarter in the previous financial year, indicating a positive trend during that period

For the full dataset underlying Figure 2 and these statistical headlines go to Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin tables (October 2024 to December 2024).

6.2 Diesel excise duty

Total diesel excise duty receipts are calculated by summing together excise duty receipts from several different types of diesel.

Figure 3: Diesel excise duty receipts by month during the current and previous 2 financial years, in £ million.

Figure 3 demonstrates several trends for diesel receipts:

• the provisional previous quarter (October 2024 to December 2024) total diesel receipts are £3,741 million, which is £267 million (7%) lower than the same period during the previous financial year

For the full dataset underlying Figure 3 and these statistical headlines go to Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin tables (October 2024 to December 2024).

6.3 Petrol and diesel excise duty comparison

Figure 4: Petrol and diesel excise duty receipts by month during the current and previous eight financial years, in £ million.

For the full dataset that accompanies Figure 4 go to Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin tables (October 2024 to December 2024).

Figure 4 demonstrates the following trends for quarterly diesel and petrol receipts during the current and previous 8 financial years:

• since the financial year ending 2017, petrol and diesel excise had plateaued until the first quarter of the 2020 to 2021 financial year which saw a large unseasonal decrease for both petrol and excise duty receipts, likely due to impacts from the coronavirus pandemic

• following volatility in the 2020 to 2021 financial year likely caused by economic impacts related to the coronavirus, receipts increased at the start of the 2021 to 2022 financial year and have remained at relatively stable levels since

6.4 Contacts

The Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin is produced by the Indirect Tax Receipts Monitoring team as part of the Excise duties, VAT, and other indirect tax statistics collection.

Contact revenuemonitoring@hmrc.gov.uk for statistical enquiries.

Contact HMRC press office for media enquiries.