Brent above $100. Up 68% since January 2026. The meter below has been running since day one.
Brent crude opened 2026 at $62/barrel. It is now above $100/barrel - a 68% rise. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil flows, has been effectively closed since March 2 following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Tanker traffic is down from 138 daily transits to fewer than 5. That is not a risk scenario. It is landing right now in three places: your petrol station, your energy bill and your weekly shop.
Of the $42/barrel rise since January, approximately $30+ is the Iran war premium - priced in as the Strait of Hormuz closed and tanker traffic collapsed. Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to keep the strait closed as a tool of pressure. The IEA has released 400 million barrels of emergency reserves - the largest such action in history - but analysts warn it covers only about 26 days of the supply shortfall.
This counter tracks what that 68% rise has cost the average UK household since January 1 - in real time, running around the clock whether you're watching it or not.
The £1,146/year figure is based on the average UK household. A two-car family doing 25,000 miles/year pays considerably more. A flat with no gas heating pays less. The calculator takes 30 seconds.
Calculate my household costThese counters start from 10 minutes of accumulation and keep ticking. At £0.00004/second, the numbers add up faster than most people expect.
Fuel is immediate - petrol prices track crude within 1-3 weeks. Energy bills lag 4-8 weeks as wholesale gas tracks oil via LNG parity. Groceries are slowest - diesel logistics costs pass through food supply chains over 3-6 months. All three are in the counter above.
Brent is above $100 and Iran has vowed to keep Hormuz closed. At current prices you're already paying £1,146/year extra. Analysts warn of further escalation.
Energy bills are your biggest lever. If you are on a variable tariff, now is the time to compare fixed deals before prices rise further. UK households on default tariffs typically overpay by 15-30%.
Fuel: Combining trips, correct tyre pressure and smoother acceleration saves 10-15% without changing your lifestyle. If you commute by car, even one day working from home cuts annual fuel costs materially.
Groceries: The full food price impact takes 3-6 months to feed through. Switching to own-brand products on staples saves 20-40% with no quality compromise.
With energy bills rising due to the oil crisis, switching to a fixed tariff could save you £200-400/year and protect you from further rises. Takes under 5 minutes.
Compare tariffs on UswitchTwo-car family doing 30,000 miles/year in a gas-heated semi: closer to £2,000. City flat with heat pump and no car: under £400. The calculator adjusts for your actual life.
See my personal figureWe monitor Brent crude daily. When it moves more than $5/barrel - enough to add £50+ to your annual costs - we send you an alert with the updated household impact. No spam, just price updates.
Immediate alert when Brent moves more than $5/barrel, translated into your household cost - not just an abstract price.
The counter is anchored to January 1 2026, when Brent crude was $62/barrel. Current price: $104/barrel (live via ICE Brent). The differential is applied to ONS household expenditure data using pass-through rates of 65% for fuel, 40% for energy and 15% for groceries.
Figures represent the average UK household: 2.4 persons, 1.2 cars, semi-detached gas-heated home (ONS Living Costs and Food Survey 2024).