Dates given for UK 'petrol and diesel shortages and price rises'

Dates given for UK 'petrol and diesel shortages and price rises'Professor Nick Butler warns diesel could hit £2+ per litre and says it would be 'perfectly sensible' for ministers to tell workers to stay at home to save fuelCommentsMoneySteven Smith Content Editor14:56, 14 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesThe £2-plus litre has been predicted(Image: Carl Court, Getty Images)The Government ought to promote remote working as a means of addressing energy shortages in the aftermath of the conflict in Iran, according to a former Government adviser. Professor Nick Butler, previously vice-president for strategy and policy at oil giant BP, described it as "perfectly sensible" for ministers to urge employees to remain at home, cautioning that the cost of diesel could still climb a "good deal" north of £2 per litre.‌US-Israeli military action in Iran since February has driven oil prices to record highs, with costs surging more than 60% so far this year as the blockade of the crucial shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, persists.‌"Some countries, I think particularly in Asia where the crisis has hit earliest, they're taking an extra day a week at home," he told Times Radio.‌"People are being encouraged to work at home. And I think you have to test now whether there's a willingness."And as I read the behavioural science, people do respond. They don't all do it perfectly, but they respond if other people are responding."View 3 ImagesProfessor Nick Butler during his time at BP(Image: CARL DE SOUZA, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)‌When asked whether the Government should formally recommend working from home, Prof Butler said: "Yes, I think that that would be a perfectly sensible measure."Prof Butler, who served as an adviser to Gordon Brown during his tenure as prime minister, further warned that diesel prices could soar even higher, suggesting the worst is still to come.He warned: "The real crisis for Bri...