Petrol up ~10%. Diesel up ~20%. Wholesale gas nearly doubled. The Iran–US war has reminded Britain, painfully, that fossil fuel dependency means someone else controls your bills.
The Shock in Numbers
Since strikes began on 28 February 2026, Qatar suspended LNG shipments to Europe, the Strait of Hormuz came under threat, and European gas storage already at just ~30% capacity started draining faster. (BBC News)
~20%
Diesel price rise since Feb 28
~75%
UK wholesale gas price surge
8%
Food inflation forecast, June 2026 (worst case)
The energy price cap won’t adjust until July 2026, that’s when ~77% of Britons expect their household finances to worsen. Deutsche Bank warned of a potential 4%+ inflation surge by summer. (The Times)
What the Government Said
“The Iran War has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.” – Ed Miliband, UK Energy Secretary, March 2026 · Gov.uk
Short-term: ~17% of emergency oil reserves released, fuel duty deferred 5 months. Long-term: all new homes must now include solar and heat pumps. The direction is unambiguous, homegrown, clean energy. (Gov.uk)
EV Drivers Felt None of It
While forecourt prices climbed ~10–20%, EV drivers charging smart paid the same as before. That’s the point. EVs don’t just cut your fuel bill, when charged intelligently, they actively stabilise the grid that the rest of the country depends on.
£5B+
Grid savings possible via smart EV balancing
11,000+
Flexibility dispatches by Electric Miles across UK DSOs
0%
Fuel price increase felt by smart EV drivers
emPACT: Chargers That Work for the Grid
emPACT (Electric Miles Platform for Accelerating Clean Technologies) is Electric Miles’ smart CPMS, built to turn every charger into a grid asset.
What you get on emPACT
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Smart Charging:Auto-schedules charging to off-peak, low-carbon windows.
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SmartFlex Events:Get rewarded every time you respond to a grid stress signal – commercially and residentially.
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V2G Ready:Export stored energy back to the grid at peak demand. Your EV earns, not just saves.
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Works for All Operators:Fleets, CPOs, installers, resellers – commercial and residential scale.
Every operator onboarded to emPACT strengthens UK energy resilience – and earns recurring revenue doing it. (Charged EVs)
Ready to turn your chargers into grid assets?
Join operators, fleets, and businesses already using emPACT to earn from smart charging – and help Britain build real energy resilience.
Book a Demo of emPACT here: https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/tom-butcher?uuid=994bc300-18c7-43e5-b3c9-2396bd2a99e8