The Housing Secretary has warned the UK is too reliant on Middle East fossil fuels and said there is 'no question' of fuel rationing despite rising tensions.
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Housing Secretary Steve Reed has insisted the UK’s energy strategy is “the right one” and ruled out petrol rationing, as concerns grow over the impact of Middle East tensions on fuel prices.
Speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBC, Mr Reed said there is “no question, as things stand, of rationing of any kind”.
He said households should continue to use fuel as normal, adding that energy bills are set to fall despite the ongoing conflict.
“The Prime Minister himself has been really, really clear. People should continue to buy and use fuel just as they always have been doing,” he said.
“In a couple of weeks’ time… everyone listening to this show is going to see their energy bills go down by an average of £120 — that’s locked in for three months, whatever happens in the Middle East”.
He said the fall in bills was “locked in” because of decisions taken by the Government to create a more stable economic footing, helping the UK “weather storms” caused by global conflicts.
He repeated there was “no possibility, as things stand, of petrol rationing”, as ministers seek to limit the impact on the wider economy.
Asked whether that position could change, Mr Reed admitted uncertainty over how the conflict could develop. “I don’t know from day to day what’s happening in this war any more than you do,” he said.
However, he stressed the Government is working with allies to de-escalate the situation and minimise any impact on the UK economy.
Mr Reed said the crisis underlined the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels from volatile regions.
“I think what the whole situation in the Middle East underscores that the Government’s approach to energy is the right one,” he said.
“If we were not dependent on fossil fuels, on oil from the Middle East, then this crisis would not be affecting us here at home at all.”
He argued that increasing domestic energy production from renewable sources would shield the UK from global shocks.
“If we take back control of our energy by having more sustainable energy that we produce here at home- wind, wave, solar, nuclear – then conflicts, whether it's Ukraine or the Middle East, that affect the price of petrol would not touch British households”.
Mr Reed dismissed suggestions that expanding North Sea drilling would significantly lower energy prices.
“If it started tomorrow… it would have no impact on prices for energy here at home,” he said, referring to projects such as Rosebank, a proposed new oil and gas field in the North Sea.
He said critics were focusing on “worst-case scenarios” rather than long-term energy security.
He added that global energy prices, driven by international markets and geopolitical instability, would continue to dictate costs.
His comments come amid escalating tensions involving Iran and threats to key oil shipping routes in the region.
Mr Reed reiterated that the UK will not be drawn into the conflict, but said ministers are focused on protecting British interests and limiting economic fallout.
“The Prime Minister has said we're not joining this war… but we will take necessary defensive action to keep our interests and our people safe,” he said.
