Frequently asked questions

Fuel Beacon helps you find the right fuel at the right price nearby. It brings together live UK fuel prices, forecourt facilities, fuel logging and more, so you know before you go. Prices come from the UK government's Fuel Finder data.

Please don't use the app while driving. Plan before you set off, or ask a passenger. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support is in development.

Fuel Beacon is available as an early release for iPhone and Android: search for “FuelBeacon” in your app store. You can also try it on the web, with a smaller set of features.

iPhones and Android phones that still receive operating system updates from their manufacturer.

Yes. You can use the map, fuel prices and search as a guest. A free account adds favourites, vehicle profiles, fuel logs, up to three saved search profiles, and syncing across your devices.

Paid memberships with extras such as price-drop alerts are planned, but they aren't available yet.

Partly. Offline, you can still use the Emergency Roadside Location, log fuel, see your vehicle profiles, and view forecourts in map areas you've already loaded. Prices won't update until you're back online, and a banner shows whenever the app is offline.

Like any app that uses your location, Fuel Beacon uses some battery while it's searching your area. We've designed it to avoid using power unnecessarily.

Forecourts must report price changes to the government within 30 minutes. Fuel Beacon refreshes its prices twice a day, at 9am and 4pm. Each price on a forecourt card shows when it was reported, just below the fuel name.

Select the ? next to a price to compare it with the national average and that brand's average.

We only show prices we're confident in. If the official data has an error, we hide that forecourt's prices and opening hours until it's corrected, rather than guess.

Prices well outside the national or brand average are flagged for review: the forecourt shows a red dot and the price an exclamation mark. Select the exclamation mark for details.

They're the standard names for each fuel. Brands call the same fuel different things, so Fuel Beacon uses the codes to keep things consistent. Wherever you see a code, select the ? beside it for a key of every code and a short description of each fuel.

Fuel colours: unleaded fuels are green, diesel is purple and HVO is orange.

Forecourt pins use each brand's own colours, such as red on yellow for Shell, so you can spot your preferred brands at a glance.

The chips at the bottom of the map show prices for the fuel you pick. If a forecourt doesn't sell that exact fuel, it shows the nearest one instead; for example, unleaded when there's no super unleaded.

The HVO chip only appears when a forecourt selling HVO is in your search area, and selecting it shows only those forecourts.

EV charging filters for the map are in development.

Type or say what you want in the search bar at the top of the map, the way you'd naturally say it. You can search by:

• location
• brand
• fuel type, or a saved vehicle profile
• maximum price per litre
• cheapest or closest first

You can save a search as a profile to use again later. Watch how.

It can log a fuel purchase for you. Type something like “log 30L for £45” and confirm the entry.

Allow Fuel Beacon to use your location, or move the map, tap on it, or type a place in the search bar.

To keep the map quick and uncluttered, Fuel Beacon first shows the 25 forecourts nearest the centre of your search. When the map has been still for 5 seconds, it loads the rest in your search area. Moving or zooming the map starts the count again.

In My Account you can change the delay, or choose to show every forecourt in view. Showing every forecourt can be slow because there are so many.

Switch to the list view, using the toggle in the corner of the map, to see each one separately.

Use the toggle in the corner of the map. In the list, the forecourts nearest the centre of your search come first. You can choose which view opens by default in My Account.

To find a forecourt on the map, select the pin icon beside its address on the forecourt card.

Select the × at the end of the search bar, or the Clear chip in the filter bar.

Open the forecourt card and select Get directions. Fuel Beacon opens your choice of maps app.

A forecourt card shows the fuels on sale and their prices, the facilities and the opening hours. From it you can:

• favourite or share the forecourt
• log a fuel purchase there
• call the forecourt or get directions
• report a problem
• hear the forecourt's name and prices read out

In My Account, open Vehicle profiles and add a vehicle. Give it a nickname and choose its main fuel; the registration, a second fuel and preferred brands are optional. Turn on Always apply brands if you only want to see your preferred brands on the map.

You can add several vehicles, such as a work car and a family car. Watch how.

In My Account, open Manage profiles and add a profile. Name it, set a search radius from 1 to 20 miles, and optionally choose forecourt types (such as motorway services or supermarkets), fuels, facilities and brands.

Select it from the vehicle or search profile list in My Account, or name it in the search bar.

Open the forecourt card and select the star. Favourites show on the map with a star in the corner, and you'll find them all under Favourites and in My Account.

In the Fuel log section, select + and enter the fuel, the amount paid, the volume and the date. Fuel Beacon works out the price per litre. You can also add the forecourt, vehicle, odometer reading and notes.

Filter your logs by fuel type, week, month or year to see what you spend; the calendar icon takes you back to today. You can edit or delete any entry.

Yes. Choose litres, UK gallons or US gallons in My Account.

Select Create account in My Account and sign in with your Apple or Google account.

Open My Account or Settings in the app, select Delete account and confirm. This permanently deletes your account and everything saved with it: your favourites, fuel logs, vehicles, search profiles and settings. It can't be undone.

Any other phone or tablet signed in to the account is signed out. If you sign in again later, you'll start with a new, empty account.

If you can't open the app, email info@fuelbeacon.app from the email address you use to sign in with Apple or Google, and we'll delete it for you.

Location lets the app find forecourts near you. It's optional; without it, you move the map to where you want to search.

Microphone is used only for voice search.

Yes. The app asks whether you'll share anonymous analytics about how you use the search bar, which helps us improve it. To change your answer later, go to My Account, open Privacy and turn off Share anonymous usage analytics.

No. We never sell your personal data. Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect and why.

• Check that location access is turned on for Fuel Beacon in your phone's settings.
• Turn Wi-Fi or mobile data off and on again.
• Close the app fully and reopen it, or clear the app's cache.

• Check you're connected to the internet.
• Clear the app's cache and reload the map.

• Make your search radius bigger.
• Check for other filters that are still on.
• Check the spelling. Include hyphens in fuel brands, such as “v-power”, and write place names in full, such as “Staines-upon-Thames”.

Select the flag on the forecourt card, choose what was wrong (such as the price, the location, a long queue or a broken facility) and add the details. We'll flag the forecourt so other drivers can check it too.

Open Emergency Roadside Location in My Account to see your exact coordinates and a nearby landmark, with options to call the emergency services or share your location with your contacts. It works offline. If anyone is in danger, call 999.

Email support@fuelbeacon.app for help, or send ideas to suggestions@fuelbeacon.app. We aim to reply within 12 to 24 hours, Monday to Friday.

You can also use the Feedback section in the app to report a bug, share an idea or flag a data problem. See our Support page for what to include.