Scotland Shouldering Billions Amid Ongoing Middle East Conflict

The ongoing war in the Middle East has led to extra costs for Scottish households and businesses, according to new analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). The conflict has resulted in oil and gas price volatility, adding around £90 to the average Scottish household's energy costs by next year. This is due to higher gas prices filtering through to domestic energy bills.

Since the start of the US-Iran war, Scottish households have incurred almost £230m in additional costs, with road fuel costs accounting for over half of that figure. The ECIU estimates that Scottish energy users will shoulder more than half a billion pounds in additional energy and fuel costs as a result of the conflict.

Businesses and industry are carrying the largest share of the burden, at around £290m, which is equivalent to £15m a week in additional costs. The majority of this has been from increased road fuel prices, such as petrol and diesel.