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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Phillip Inman and Heather Stewart

War in Middle East ‘could wipe out growth in UK living standards’

A domestic energy smart meter near a gas ring
The Resolution Foundation says a rise in oil and gas prices could add a percentage point to UK inflation and £500 on to annual energy bills. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The Middle East crisis could trigger an energy price shock that more than wipes out the £300 rise in living standards a typical working-age household could otherwise expect this year, a leading thinktank has warned.

The Resolution Foundation said a “decent” one-off increase in average living standards in 2026 and a bumper rise for lower-income households could be reversed by rising oil and gas prices as the Iran conflict disrupts supplies.

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