Energy bills, petrol, diesel, mortgages, heating oil, LPG & more. Martin's key tips & checklists to cut costs
The Middle East conflict has pumped up oil & gas costs. How to protect your pocket...

Nothing we face compares with the threat to life of those directly affected by warfare in the Middle East, but people in the UK are still impacted. The oil price is up 35% since the conflict started at the end of Feb, flowing not just into obvious costs - petrol, diesel, heating oil - but also most goods we buy, as they need transporting, cooling, storing and more.

The price of gas, which affects energy bills, is up 70%. While its impact won't hit imminently, it is storing up bill rises for later this year. There is no magic wand that any consumer can wave to fix all this, yet there are things you can do to reduce the impact or the cost. Some nifty, others far from rocket science, so this is a mix of tips & checklists...

- Petrol & diesel checklist: 5 tips to cut the cost.
- Gas & elec bills: What to do if fixed, or on Cap / time of use / EV tariffs.
- Middle East travel chaos help
- Heating oil & LPG: New support?
- Mortgage ending soon: What do I do?
- What about inflation? And impact on student loans?

Since the conflict started, the average price of petrol has leapt up by 10p/litre and diesel by 20p/litre. Not all-time highs, but the highest for a year on petrol, nearly two years for diesel. They're unlikely to drop in the foreseeable future unless the conflict ends or more shipping resumes in the Strait of Hormuz. So here's a quick fuel saving checklist...