Europe told to 'drive less and avoid flying' as last Middle East fuel tankers arrive
EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen has said that Europe is facing a "very serious situation"
The EU has urged people to cut back on driving and flying in preparation for "prolonged disruption" to energy supplies, as the last shipment of diesel and jet fuel from the Middle East arrives in Europe.
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EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen said Europe was facing a "very serious situation" with no clear end in sight.
Even if peace came tomorrow “still we will not go back to normal in the foreseeable future," he said.
"The more you can do to save oil, especially diesel, especially jet fuel, the better we are off."
Advice included working from home where possible, reducing highway speed limits by ten kilometres (an hour), encouraging public transport, increasing car sharing and adopting efficient driving practices.
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The comments follow a meeting of the EU's 27 energy ministers on Tuesday to discuss the crisis.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's key oil trade routes, has been effectively closed since the US-Israeli first struck Iran on February 28.
Oil and gas prices have soared as much as 70 per cent since the conflict began – with as much as a fifth of the world's global oil supply stuck in the Gulf.
Oil tankers have regularly been the target of Iranian attacks in the strait.
The EU relies on the Gulf for over 40 per cent of its jet fuel and diesel imports.
The energy chief also urged EU countries to urgently roll out renewables and become energy independent, saying "this must be the time we finally turn the tide and truly become energy independent."
Tuesday's talks between ministers ended with no concrete proposals, although a package of EU-level measures is expected.
Diesel prices have reached their most expensive level since December 2022, with the average price of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts on Monday hitting 181.2p according to RAC analysis.
That represents a 27 per cent increase from 142.4p on February 28, the day the war in the Middle East began.
Average petrol prices have reached 152.0p per litre, a rise of 14 per cent, from 132.8p over the same period.