Work from home and cut frivolous journeys: What countries are telling people to do as oil prices spike

• Nations across the world are taking steps to mitigate the impact of oil price spikes.
• These include flexible working arrangements and reducing non-essential journeys.
• Countries heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil are particularly vulnerable to the war's impact.

Governments around the world are urging people to cut back on energy use amid surging oil prices.

Earlier this month, Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, and it has since reached $115.

The spike follows attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the US war on Iran and strikes on gas-related infrastructure, raising fears of prolonged disruptions to a route that carries roughly 20% of the world's supply chain.

In response, countries are rolling out measures to conserve fuel and protect domestic supplies. Thailand, for example, has said it will halt fuel exports to maintain its own energy demands, while other countries are asking citizens to pare back their consumption.

Here are some of the steps governments and international organizations are telling people to take.

International Energy Agency

The International Energy Agency, one of the world's most important energy groups, has issued 10 measures it says governments, businesses, and consumers can take immediately to help ease the impact of disruptions in oil markets.

These include working from home, avoiding air travel, and encouraging the use of electric cooking equipment.

Other steps include reducing highway speed limits by at least six miles per hour, car sharing, cutting air travel, and using public transport more.

The IEA said in the report that "the demand-side measures highlighted in the report cannot match the scale of disrupted supply."

However, it said "they can play a meaningful role in lowering costs for consumers, reducing markets strains and preserving fuels for essential uses until normal flows resume."

Philippines

The Philippines has taken several measures in order to bring down energy use, including a four-day workweek for government staff and orders to cut the use of electricity and fuel costs in government agencies.

Government offices were told in early March to implement flexible working arrangements where practical, turn off lights and computers during lunch breaks, and adjust air conditioning unit thermostats to no lower than 75 degrees.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a video message that the four-day workweek would be temporary and does not include emergency services.

"With the expected global oil price increase, the government is preparing measures to reduce its impact on Filipino families," the Facebook caption for the video said.

The Philippines is vulnerable to disruptions caused by the conflict, as it "relies on the Middle East for almost 90% of its oil supply," according to ING Think.

On March 18, Marcos said that the country is seeking alternative sources of petroleum products and asked the public not to worry.

"We are trying to find different methods to provide subsidies to give assistance," said Marcos in a press address. "The problem is that oil prices are very volatile. We can't anticipate them. So we are still adjusting right now."

Australia

Two Australian states are offering some free public transit.

Victoria — including its capital city, Melbourne — is offering complimentary trains, trams, and buses from March 31 through April 30, according to the Department of Transport and Planning's website, Transport Victoria.

Tasmania, the island state south of Victoria, has waived bus and ferry fees, effective March 30, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Sunday. The free bus service will run through July 30.

Tasmanian officials said in the announcement that they'd seen a 20% increase in public transit usage in the last week as gas pump prices rose.

"Localized demand is absolutely putting pressure on supply," Jacinta Allan, the Victorian Premier, said during an interview on Channel 7 on Monday. "We might not be able to control those global oil prices. What we can control and support is cost-of-living measures right now."

On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also halved the fuel tax nationwide for three months, while saying Australia's oil supply remains steady.

While no official rationing has been implemented in the country, local media in at least two states have reported that some fuel stations implemented purchase restrictions since early March.

In comments to the media on March 9, Australia's energy minister Chris Bowen said that there is no shortage of fuel in Australia, but there are "some supply chain issues which are really being caused by a spike in demand of people seeking to buy extra diesel."

United Kingdom

The president of the AA, the UK's largest motoring organization, advised drivers on March 9 that although they "should not change their refuelling habits," they could "consider cutting out some non-essential journeys and changing their driving style to conserve fuel."

Edmund King, AA's president, added: "Any time Brent Crude passes 100 dollars per barrel raises concern across the markets, for the haulage industry and drivers.

"There will be gradual increases in pump prices, but this shouldn't happen overnight as fuel has been purchased at previous prices."

Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, said that the government would support citizens during the oil price spike.

"No matter the headwinds, supporting working people and their families with the cost of living is always top of my mind," he said.

Thailand

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul urged citizens not to stockpile fuel. His comments came after long lines formed at gas stations across the country.

In early March, Anutin and the country's energy minister gave assurances that the diesel price would be capped for at least 15 days. He said that the Commerce Ministry was closely monitoring oil prices to prevent customer exploitation.

"Stockpiling fuel is dangerous. If you store it at home, it could accidentally cause fire — it could lead to all sorts of problems," he said. "There is no need to do that today."

India

The Indian government invoked emergency powers on March 10to divert liquefied petroleum gas supplies away from industrial users and toward households.

This was an expansion of previous measures. On March 9, India ordered oil refineries to produce more LPG and said it was prioritizing that supply for households.

India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a tweet on March 10 that non-domestic supplies from imported LPG were being prioritized for essential sectors, such as hospitals and educational institutions.

Vietnam

Vietnam has urged local businesses to encourage employees to work from home in order to save fuel.

This comes after the country said it would remove tariffs on fuel imports.

Pakistan

Pakistan has ordered measures to conserve fuel and reduce government spending, including implementing a four-day work week, having half of public sector employees work from home, and closing schools for two weeks.

Other measures include pausing salaries for cabinet ministers and cutting government spending by 20%, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on March 10.

On March 22, the South Asian country ordered fans to watch a popular cricket tournament, the Pakistan Super League, from home because of the fuel shortage. Normally, 30,000 fans would pack stadiums.

"We decided that as long as this crisis is ongoing, we will not have crowds at matches," the country's interior minister and head of the national cricket board, Mohsin Naqvi, said at a press conference.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka made Wednesdays a public holiday to conserve fuel as the country braces for potential fuel shortages, according to the BBC.

"We must prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on March 9.

The shortened workweek will apply to schools and universities, but "essential" services like hospitals will keep the lights on.

Denmark

Denmark is urging citizens to reduce fuel.

"What the Danes should please, please, please do is that if there is any energy consumption that you can do without, if it is not strictly necessary to drive the car, then don't do it," Lars Aagaard, Denmark's energy and utilities minister, said during an interview with a local broadcaster on March 11.

"Firstly, it can be felt in the private wallet, and secondly, it can help stretch our reserves so that they last longer," Aagaard added.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh's university students got an early start to their Ramadan holidays, thanks to fuel conservation measures.

The country announced by mid-March that main colleges could cancel classes until later in the month. The government has shut down campuses completely to save electricity and has started imposing temporary blackouts for other facilities.

Egypt

Egypt is enforcing some lifestyle changes to conserve gas and oil.

For a country that is used to shopping and dining well into the night, malls, restaurants, and retailers are being asked to shut down at 9 p.m. on weekdays starting on March 28.

The country also announced plans to turn off illuminated billboards and reduce public lighting, and to close government buildings by 6 p.m.

Spain

Spain's government has approved a $5.8 billion aid package to ease the economic effects of the war in the Middle East, Bloomberg reported.

The plan includes reducing VAT on electricity and gas from 21% to 10%, slashing the special electricity tax from 5% to 0.5%, and suspending the tax on electricity production, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

A 20-cent-per-liter subsidy is being introduced for transport operators, farmers, and fishmongers, while the government plans to cover 80% of electricity-grid charges for energy-intensive industries.

Germany

Germany's government said it could launch a fuel price package to address surging costs.

"Petrol stations in Germany will soon be allowed to increase their fuel prices only once a day, namely at 12 noon, while price reductions will be permitted at any time," the government said in a press release.

The government said the price of gas changes "up to 22 times a day, which equates to a huge lack of transparency for motorists and commuters."

Those who violate the ban could be fined up to 100,000 euros. The package also includes a measure to release more oil reserves.

"The coalition parties want to submit the package to the Bundestag immediately, with the aim of introducing the new regulations before Easter, if possible," the government said.

Indonesia

Indonesia's government said it would ration fuel supplies to lessen the shock of soaring prices, AFP reported on March 31.

"To ensure fuel distribution, the government will regulate purchases … with a reasonable limit of 50 litres per vehicle" per day for private consumers, said Airlangga Hartarto, the coordinating minister of economic affairs, according to the publication.

The government also ordered all civil servants to work from home, Hartarto said.

Indonesia heavily subsidizes fuel costs, but the budget was based on a global oil price of $70 per barrel, far below current levels.

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