Diesel hits £2 per litre in UK: comment

"Households are being hit from both directions, with higher fuel costs and rising energy bills as conflict in the Middle East sends global oil and gas prices upwards once again. Despite the attention given to new North Sea drilling, domestic production has been falling for years and more drilling won’t change the prices motorists pay, which are determined by international markets.
 
"The surest way to cut motoring costs for good is to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles. Yet ministers are considering weakening sales targets in a move that would drive up the cost of living. Lower targets would mean less competition between manufacturers and fewer affordable EVs reaching the market, denying families access to savings that can exceed £1,000 a year, especially through the second-hand market where most people buy their cars.
 
"With Donald Trump now reportedly considering restrictions on US diesel exports, there is every chance prices could rise further. It is another stark reminder that Britain's exposure to oil and gas leaves households at the mercy of events overseas. The Government says it wants to get the UK off the fossil fuel rollercoaster, but slowing the transition to electric vehicles would leave families locked in to these kind of price surges for even longer."