ACROSS the world several countries are taking drastic measures to deal with the devastating impact of shortages due to the Iran war.
Raging issues along the Strait of Hormuz have caused costs to skyrocket after Iran declared the key shipping route was closed and started to attack vessels attempting the journey.
To combat the serious economic issues thanks to the war shortages nations from Sri Lanka to New Zealand are coming up with clever tricks to help reduce the blow.
Asia is set to be the worst affected region due to up to 90 per cent of all oil and gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz being bound for the continent.
Sri Lanka has taken a major step to conserve the amount of petrol used on the island nation due to the hike in costs.
The government has declared every Wednesday a public holiday.
They hope the closure of all public institutions will mean less cars on the road and help combat fears over oil shortages in the coming weeks.
Over in the Philippines, some government offices have told staff they must work from home at least one day a week for similar reasons.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr went a step further and has now outright banned all non-essential travel in the public sector.
Fuel woes have even resulted in private vehicles in Myanmar being forced to drive only on alternate days.
In Vietnam, citizens are being urged to leave their cars at home and instead ride bikes, take public transport or carpool to get around.
Vietnamese officials are also warning that if the war rages on into April then the aviation industry is at risk.
A slew of flight reductions may be imposed next month after China and Thailand announced a halting of jet fuel exports linked to the global shortages.
Up to 60 per cent of Vietnam’s imported jet fuel comes from the two nations, according to reports, meaning the effects of war could be damning.
Other Asian countries are taking smaller steps to try and help reduce any mass panic among civilians – such as Thailand.
The Thai government is urging people to stop wearing suits across the country and instead stay cool in t-shirts and vests.
They say a lighter outfit will mean less air conditioning which helps to reduce electrical costs.
Workers have also been asked to stop using the elevator and instead take the stairs up to their offices.
India is taking strong measures to conserve fuel with some crematoriums no longer using gas to burn the dead.
Restaurants in the country have also announced they will no longer be deep frying food.
Elsewhere, New Zealand is continuing to closely monitor its National Fuel Plan.
The plan includes details on how the country would respond to a critical fuel supply emergency through four levels of concern.
First published in 2024, the stages are similar to the levels seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nation currently remains at level one and is facing a “minimal current impact on fuel distribution”.
Level two sees moderate issues starting to emerge which could lead to shortages to customers with level three seeing major impacts occur.
The final level – known as severe – would result in fuel companies only supplying to critical customers.
Opening hour restrictions on service stations would be introduced and a limit on the amount of fuel allowed would be implemented.
The impact of the Iran war is even being felt as far away as in the UK.
Motorists have been warned to drive less and stop braking sharply to save fuel as oil prices soared amid the Middle East conflict.
The AA warned that drivers should “consider cutting out some non-essential journeys and changing their driving style to conserve fuel”.
Meanwhile fellow experts at the RAC said Brits should avoid “harsh accelerating and braking” to “help eke out every last mile and save money”.
Also in Europe, Denmark’s energy minister, Lars Aagaard, has encouraged citizens to cut back on energy use by driving less.
Hungary introduced fuel price caps, while Austria and Germany both announced plans to limit daily price increases.
