Heating oil prices.
Simply compared.Heating oil prices.
Simply compared.

What changed. Iran has stepped up attacks on oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, the sea lane that normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil. Ships have been hit almost every day this month, two more over the weekend, and talks to end the war are stuck. Crude oil jumped about 5% on Thursday, and heating oil climbed with it through the week. Diesel, which comes from the same part of the refinery as heating oil, then got some relief. On Friday President Trump said Russia will start shipping diesel to world markets straight away, and the US has lifted its sanctions on it for now. Britain does not buy Russian fuel, so the help here is indirect and, experts say, small. On Saturday he said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy sites, including the Russian refineries Ukraine's drones have been hitting. Moscow has not confirmed it, and Ukraine says Russia struck its energy sites within hours. China has also restarted fuel exports after its national holiday.

Your next fill. At Fueltool's UK average on Monday 12 October, a 1,000-litre fill costs about £1,210 including VAT, up from about £1,150 at our last brief on Wednesday. That is roughly £50 more than a week ago on the same basis, and the dearest since mid-September, after the tanker attacks pushed crude oil up on Thursday.

What to watch. First, whether the energy ceasefire holds and the Russian diesel actually ships, and how much of diesel's fall since Friday reaches supplier prices. Second, Thursday's meeting of the International Energy Agency, which has asked countries to hurry the emergency diesel they promised and to consider releasing more. Third, the attacks on shipping around Hormuz, and any restart of talks to end the war.