‘We’ve got to have clean, homegrown power that we control’
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/weve-got-have-clean-homegrown-power-we-control
People dispense fuel at the pump at Costco Petrol Station in West Thurrock, Essex. The conflict in Iran has caused a surge in oil and gas prices, March 5, 2026Campaigners warn soaring oil and gas prices are pushing households into another cost-of-living crisis
TEN straight days of high oil and gas prices are pushing households into another cost-of-living crisis, campaigners warned today, as costs suffered from the US-Israel attack on Iran.
The warning came as Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she had asked the competition watchdog to “crack down” on “rip-off” fuel prices ahead of a meeting with energy bosses to warn against war profiteering.
Ms Reeves insisted she “will not tolerate” firms exploiting uncertainty in the Middle East for excess financial gain.
The government has promised to intervene if companies engage in “unfair” practices that would hit customers facing a rise in the price of home heating oil, which is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap.
Rural communities which rely on oil to heat their homes are already being hit hard, according to charity Rural Action Derbyshire (RAD), which runs an oil-buying scheme.
The heating oil market is closely connected to the daily market for jet fuel, meaning price rises are typically passed directly to customers.
RAD said homes in Derbyshire saw the cost of 500 litres jump from around £300 to £700-800 in the week after the conflict.
For an average household, 500 litres lasts two to three months.
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