Fuel prices across the UK have seen a sharp increase since the US and Israel launched their initial strikes at Iran on February 28.

This is largely due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route to the south of Iran.

Data from the RAC suggests the average price of diesel in the UK has gone up by 25.5 per cent from 141.60p per litre on February 26 to 177.68p per litre on March 27.

Meanwhile unleaded petrol has risen by 13.7 per cent from 132.05p per litre on February 26 to 150.11p per litre on March 27.

READ MORE: Broken traffic calming planter on Oxford road slammed as ‘dangerous’

All prices include VAT.

Charities, emergency services and businesses across Oxfordshire have been impacted.

Loose Canon Brewery in Abingdon delivers beer five days a week, consistently to 90 pubs in the local area although often that number is higher.

“There’s been quite a dramatic impact in that way,” said Anneli Baxter, general manager, commenting on direct fuel costs.

She added: “Also, customers who visit our brewery shop. They are starting to consider the cost of driving to the brewery to collect beer.”

President Donald Trump (Image: AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Ms Baxter further stated that the public – squeezed by the rising cost of living including fuel costs – are weighing up whether they are able to afford luxuries such as beer at the pubs they deliver to.

Dave Richardson, a spokesman for the Oxford branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), echoed Ms Baxter’s comments.

He said: “The breweries deliver the beer to the pubs on the lorries – there’s no other way of doing it, so they are having to face that additional cost.”

The Oxford Food Hub, which has vans out six days a week delivering to around 250 organisations, said that the increase in fuel costs is making it its work harder.

Steve Hamon, CEO of the charity, said: “We still have two diesel vans, and since the end of February, we’ve noticed an increase of 31.63 per cent in fuel costs. 

Volunteers and workers at the Oxford Food Hub (Image: The Oxford Food Hub)

“As a smaller charity, every penny counts. Any rise in fuel spending makes it harder for us to continue our regular operations of saving and redistributing surplus food across the county.” 

Small businesses are increasingly concerned by fuel costs, with several saying it is adding to an already pressured landscape.

Robin Holmes-Smith, owner of The Granary delicatessen in Watlington, which has offered a delivery service said the true impact is yet to be felt.

He said: “The difficulty will be in a few weeks’ time when prices go up. If the distribution charges go up, then prices will go up.”

Mr Holmes-Smith claimed he was “cautious” when looking ahead but that his main concern was the rise in minimum wage.

Meanwhile, Ryan Dawson, owner of Oxford Pantry Hampers called it an “extra financial strain along with the other costs of being a small business”.

READ MORE: Firefighter who won £100K on The Chase spin-off show to run London Marathon

If the order is close to his south Oxfordshire base, he will try and deliver the gourmet food or artisan gift hamper himself.

As such the rise in petrol costs is “eating away” at his profits.

The ambulance service for Oxfordshire said it expected to see its costs rise, despite operating a “mixed fuel strategy”.

Loose Cannon Brewery in Abingdon (Image: Loose Cannon Brewery)

A spokesperson for the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: “Ultimately those rises will increase the trust’s costs given the large number of vehicles we use to provide our services.”

From a private driver perspective, a leading member of the Motoring Action for Oxford group said the situation was causing “much frustration and worry”.

Robbo Leigh explained that private motorists have no way of absorbing or passing on increases in costs, while businesses relying on petrol will be looking to absorb as much as possible.

This includes independent petrol stations with Martin Prew, owner of Milton Service Station, saying his margins on fuel had effectively halved.

Milton Service Station in Oxfordshire (Image: Google Maps)

The company, which was founded in 1965, also sells cars and is a workshop, and Mr Prew has said these areas are currently “subsidising the fuel business”.

Saj Malik, a city councillor and taxi driver, said that he was noticing a downturn in trade as the rise in fuel costs made everybody “extra cautious”.

He said: “Oxford is a student city; we have many quarters that are very deprived. Our prices remain the same; we cannot pass on anything to customers as we have all struggled.”

Mr Malik has called on the government to take action including by reducing fuel duty, a tax levied on petrol, diesel and other road fuels.

He is not the only one keen on support amid the rise in costs.

Independent Oxford councillor Saj Malik (Image: Oxford City Council)

Ms Baxter of Loose Cannon Brewery said: “A reduction in VAT at pump prices would go a long way.”

Mr Leigh said: “The one thing that always arises in conversation is how slow our government in the UK is acting on this issue whereas a handful of countries have already reduced their fuel duties and VAT.”

Mr Prew also called for temporary reductions highlighting that the increase in prices would see a rise in government revenue from VAT which is set at 20 per cent.

Sportif Suzuki in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire (Image: Google Maps)

However, the government has rejected this view, suggesting that as energy prices rise, people cut back on other spending that would usually be subject to VAT.

A government spokesperson said: “Millions of motorists filled up their cars and travelled over the Easter weekend.

“Our fuel system is robust and continues to work well.”

READ MORE: Campaigners behind acclaimed Channel 4 show in water referendum call

While committing to keep the taxes under close review, the government has pointed to its extension of the 5p fuel duty cut from this month to September.

On Wednesday April 8, US President Donald Trump and the Iranian leadership announced a two-week ceasefire, with the theocracy agreeing to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite this, uncertainty remains about the safety of ships travelling through the Strait.

KFIT, founded by long-time resident Kayleigh Stewart, opened in March at Heyford Park and has already seen strong demand, with membership nearing capacity within its first few weeks.

The gym is the latest step in Ms Stewart’s fitness journey, which began with outdoor bootcamps on the Village Green before moving to a small studio on the former airbase.

Ms Stewart said: “I started with outdoor bootcamps and then moved into a smaller studio on the airbase, but it got to the point where I needed a bigger space in a better location.

“This unit felt ideal because it’s right in the middle of the village and easy for people to get to.”

After outgrowing her previous studio, she began looking for a more accessible site that could support growing demand.

Now in the centre of Heyford Park, KFIT allows residents to train close to home without needing to travel outside the village.

Ms Stewart said: “I’ve lived in Heyford Park for 10 years, so I’ve seen the community grow first-hand.

“There are so many active people here already, but I also wanted KFIT to be a place for people who feel nervous about stepping into a gym.

“It’s really important to me that people feel comfortable here and can build their confidence at their own pace.”

The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

Ms Stewart said: “It’s been amazing to see how positive the response has been.

“People have been really supportive, and it’s lovely seeing conversations happen between members, especially people who are new to the area.

“That community side has always been a big part of what I wanted to create.”

As Heyford Park continues to expand, businesses like KFIT are adding to the mix of amenities and helping residents access services closer to home.

Paul Silver, chief executive of Dorchester Living: “KFIT is another great example of the kind of independent business that helps communities flourish.

“We have seen strong demand from independent businesses wanting to establish themselves at Heyford Park, and it is encouraging to see such a positive response to KFIT already.

“Kayleigh has created something that is clearly valued by residents, and high-quality amenities like this play an important role in creating a place where people can live well.”

The gym also broadens Heyford Park’s health and wellbeing offering, providing a personal environment for strength training and regular exercise.

Ms Stewart said she hopes to continue developing KFIT in line with member feedback, whether through new classes, upgraded equipment, or community-focused events and partnerships.

Firstup has published UK research showing that nearly half of workers expect to look for a new job within a year. The findings are based on a survey of 3,127 UK workers.

Most respondents still described themselves as engaged at work: 76% of office-based staff, 83% of managers and 69% of hourly workers. Yet 48% of office-based employees, 50% of managers and 47% of hourly workers said they were likely to seek a new role within the year.

The gap was most pronounced among managers, who emerged as both the most engaged group and the most likely to consider leaving. The research suggests employee engagement no longer closely tracks staff retention.

Bill Schuh, chief executive officer at Firstup, said the findings point to a broader problem in how employers communicate with staff across different roles and working environments.

“Managers are the most engaged yet most likely to move on, and the other roles are not far behind. This disconnect means that engagement alone is no longer a reliable signal of workforce stability,” Schuh said.

“Organisations must do more to deliver critical information in a consistent, targeted and measurable way. When employees have to work just to stay informed, engagement can quickly shift to burnout and lost productivity rather than organisational loyalty.”

Communication Strain

Large numbers of employees said they were missing important updates despite receiving regular information from their employers. Across roles, 62% to 76% said they had missed key policy or procedural information, while 37% to 48% said their organisation lacked an effective way to share information with them.

Workers also identified practical reasons messages were being missed, including message overload, lack of time and uncertainty about where to find information. Between 30% and 55% said there were too many messages, 34% to 43% said they lacked time, and 10% to 14% said they did not know where to look.

The burden appears to fall heavily on line managers. Although managers were seen as the most trusted source of information, 77% said they faced challenges communicating with frontline teams. Only 21% said they were very confident that current communication methods kept workers compliant.

The operational impact was also evident in the time workers spent looking for information. Some 34% of office-based employees and 37% of managers said they spend three or more hours a week searching for basic information needed to do their jobs.

Stress And Trust

The research linked communication failures to wider workplace pressures. Miscommunication was associated with stress for 39% to 49% of respondents across roles, productivity loss for 32% to 38%, reduced teamwork for 27% to 35%, and missed policies for 29% to 36%. Between 5% and 12% also said it had safety effects.

More than one in five employees across roles said poor communication made them want to look for another job, adding to concerns for employers already dealing with retention pressures in a tight labour market.

For hourly workers in particular, the report pointed to lower trust and a sense of neglect among the disengaged. Among disengaged hourly staff, 65% said their employer did not care about their wellbeing, 62% cited poor workplace culture, 60% reported a lack of recognition or rewards, and 54% said they did not trust leadership.

Employees’ demands were relatively consistent across groups. Beyond pay, the main requests were for employers to show more care, improve communication and provide better tools. Between 50% and 55% said they wanted their organisation to show it cared, 42% to 54% wanted better communication, and 37% to 44% asked for better tools.

AI Access Gap

The study also examined the role of artificial intelligence in closing communication gaps. Hourly workers were more likely than office-based staff to say AI could improve workplace communication, with 37% taking that view compared with 29% of office-based employees.

Even so, access remains uneven. Firstup found that 68% of hourly workers had never used AI tools at work, and the same share cited a lack of access as the main barrier.

Nathan Lowis, managing director for EMEA at Firstup, said communication problems and inefficiencies were widespread across roles.

“AI could help solve many of these challenges, but ironically, hourly workers who feel they would benefit most from AI are often the last to receive access. If organisations want to improve communication and drive critical business outcomes such as increased retention, productivity and safety, they have to empower all employees with the right technology.”