‘We consider every mile we drive’: how fuel shortages are affecting readers worldwide

‘We consider every mile we drive’: how fuel shortages are affecting readers worldwide From a shop owner in India to a community worker in New South Wales, rising fuel prices are forcing people to ration oil usage Middle East crisis – live updates A lagesan, 35, needs liquefied petroleum gas to run his roadside drink and snack shop in Coimbatore, India , but with the fuel shortage since the US-Israel attacks on Iran, he worries his business could fold. “I am far away from the Middle East, but my life is affected,” he said. “The gas cylinder is not available because of the war. I don’t know what to do.” With the strait of Hormuz – through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels – nearly impassable, the price of oil has risen to about $100 (£52, A$143) a barrel on international markets. The cost of gasoline/petrol and other goods is also increasing, putting pressure on consumers and economies across the world. On Friday the International Energy Agency issued a list of recommendations, including working from home where possible, reducing highway speed limits, a shift from using private cars to public transport, carpooling, switching to electric cooking where possible and avoiding air travel. The IEA’s executive director, Fatih Birol, said the war in the Middle East was creating “a major energy crisis, including the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”. He said: “In the absence of a swift resolution, the impacts on energy markets and economies are set to become more and more severe.” Alagesan is one of the many people who responded to an online callout on heating oil and fuel usage since the start of the conflict. People shared how they were dealing with the price increase and scarcity of fuel. Some have cut back on driving, using cars for essential journeys only, cycling where possible and using public transport. Others in cooler climes have stopped or drastically limited the use of heating oil because of “skyrocketing prices” and have b...