Petrol drivers hit with £1.50 a litre warning over filling up at Easter

The RAC says that households are 'really feeling the effects' of the conflict in the Middle East, with the average price of unleaded fuel rising by 14p a litre to 147.19p, and the price of diesel has shot up by a staggering 29p a litre to 171.17p, a 29p rise. Following further rises in the price of fuel, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "Given how many rely on their cars, households are really feeling the effects of the conflict in the Middle East. "As a barrel of oil has been trading well over $100 for the last three days and looks set to remain at that level, drivers are in for a rough ride at the pumps in the run-up to the Easter break with no end to price increases in sight. Sir Keir is to chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Monday to discuss how to handle the economic impact of the conflict. The meeting is expected to involve Cabinet ministers including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, along with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey. He also continued to play down the prospect of fuel rationing, saying the Government had no "meaningful concerns about energy supplies" while acknowledging that the price "fluctuates daily". Oil prices have risen above 100 US dollars a barrel since the outbreak of the conflict, sparking concerns about the impact on the cost of living in the UK. On Monday, oil reached 114 dollars a barrel before falling back in the wake of Mr Trump's announcement of talks to about 101 dollars.