European Commission Warns Citizens to Prepare For Energy Crisis Because of Iran War

The European Commission is urging Europeans and national governments to prepare for a longer period of energy strain, warning that the conflict in the Gulf could keep oil and gas prices elevated well beyond any immediate military de-escalation.

In an official statement, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said the bloc faces continued pressure from tighter fuel supplies, especially in diesel, jet fuel, and gas markets, even if the fighting were to stop quickly. As part of that message, Jørgensen has pointed to demand-cutting measures including working "from home where possible, reduce highway speed limits by ten kilometers [an hour], encourage public transport, alternate private car access... increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices."

Those ideas come from the International Energy Agency's 10-point plan, which Brussels is promoting again as households and businesses absorb another jump in energy costs tied to instability in the Middle East. The IEA recommendations also include lower highway speed limits and other steps designed to curb oil demand quickly.

The fresh warning reflects Europe's continuing exposure to imported fossil fuels. Although the European Union has expanded renewable generation significantly since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it still depends heavily on outside suppliers for oil and gas, including energy flows linked to the Gulf. Reuters reported that Europe remains vulnerable to supply disruptions and price shocks because of that reliance, even as renewables now make up a much larger share of the bloc's energy mix than they did a few years ago.

That is why the Commission is also pressing EU member states to accelerate the rollout of renewable energy and other homegrown alternatives. The argument from Brussels is not only about climate targets now, but about security. Analysts and officials quoted by Reuters said the war's impact on global fuel markets has strengthened the case for wind, solar, batteries, electrification, and other domestic energy sources that are less exposed to geopolitical choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, Brussels is pushing governments to get ready for next winter. In a March 23 announcement, the Commission called on EU countries to begin the gas-filling season and winter preparations in a coordinated and timely way because of market volatility stemming from the Middle East conflict. That coordination push is meant to avoid the kind of fragmented national responses that complicated Europe's earlier energy crisis and to reduce the risk of panic buying or uneven emergency measures across the bloc.

The economic stakes are already substantial. Jørgensen said the conflict has driven up the EU's fossil fuel import bill by about 14 billion euros, while gas prices have risen roughly 70% and oil prices around 60% since the start of the Iran-related crisis. Those higher costs are feeding into electricity prices and threatening both household budgets and industrial competitiveness, forcing EU officials to examine short-term relief tools such as tax cuts, targeted consumer support, and possible windfall taxes on energy firms benefiting from the price spike.