Alagesan, 35, needs liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to run his roadside drink and snack shop in Coimbatore, India, but with the fuel shortage since the US-Israel attacks on Iran, he worries his business could fold.

“I am far away from the Middle East, but my life is affected,” he said. “The gas cylinder is not available because of the war. I don’t know what to do.”

With the strait of Hormuz – through which one-fifth of the world’s oil travels – nearly impassable, the price of oil has risen to about $100 (£52, A$143) a barrel on international markets.

The cost of gasoline/petrol and other goods is also increasing, putting pressure on consumers and economies across the world.

On Friday the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a list of recommendations, including working from home where possible, reducing highway speed limits, a shift from using private cars to public transport, carpooling, switching to electric cooking where possible and avoiding air travel.

The IEA’s executive director, Fatih Birol, said the war in the Middle East was creating “a major energy crisis, including the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”.

He said: “In the absence of a swift resolution, the impacts on energy markets and economies are set to become more and more severe.”

Alagesan is one of the many people who responded to an online callout on heating oil and fuel usage since the start of the conflict.

People shared how they were dealing with the price increase and scarcity of fuel. Some have cut back on driving, using cars for essential journeys only, cycling where possible and using public transport.

Others in cooler climes have stopped or drastically limited the use of heating oil because of “skyrocketing prices” and have been making do with heating just one room, burning wood and layering up clothing.

Some have cancelled holidays as they believe it is inappropriate to take long road trips with the heightened demand for fuel.

Many shared their anger at the conflict, while some people spoke of their relief that they had an EV and solar panels, and what they felt was a semblance of “control” over their fuel sources. But many said they had no choice but to use their car to go to work or get around as there was either little or no public transport available. They have had to find other ways to cut back to afford fuel.

Gangesh, 57, from Kerala, also spoke of the oil crisis in India and the “rationing”. India imports about 60% of its LPG, 90% of which is routed through the strait of Hormuz. Since the strait closed, only a fraction of the daily demand has passed through. One woman from the region said there was “a 35-day wait for the next instalment of gas cylinders”.

Meanwhile, Gangesh said “most hotels are suffering the worst shortage” with “a large number of eateries shutting down leading to unemployment”.

Driving was a recurring topic among those who contacted us. Sue, 73, a semi-retired teacher from Macclesfield in the UK has “banned” the use of the car, except for hospital trips for her husband. Otherwise, they get around on a bike and a tricycle.

Katie, 71, who is self-employed, lives in Massachusetts and supports her medically disabled adult son, is “already dealing with rising health costs and choosing between food and gasoline”. She said her son’s medical care was “highly specialised and usually means a round trip of 100 miles or more per appointment”.

She said: “We now consider carefully almost every mile we must drive and are trying to cut back expenses every way we can.”

Others were “grouping errands” for any car journeys. Peggy in New South Wales, Australia, was reducing speed to conserve energy and one 71-year-old woman from Pitt Town in NSW said she would offer lifts in her EV to her elderly friends who may be worried about fuel costs.

Meanwhile, in the UK, an estimated 1.7m households rely on heating oil, and in Northern Ireland it is the primary heating source for almost two-thirds of households. For some people who use paraffin heating oil, the price increases have been too steep for them to afford.

David, who lives in Londonderry, said: “Many people here in Northern Ireland are worried about the additional and immediate increases in their fuel costs.

“Londonderry and other parts of the north are still quite cold. For people with respiratory problems, like myself, it is essential to maintain a stable temperature.”

This was echoed by Anne*, 50, a manager who lives in Perthshire, Scotland.

At the end of February, she said the price for 1,000 litres of paraffin was £600, which she had budgeted for. However, she said the price was now “£1,450”, which was “out of reach”. They had no heating, even though it was “freezing in Perthshire”. She said they were able to cut wood from fallen trees behind their cottage to use for firewood. “It’s laborious work,” she said. “Hot-water bottles are also good. Very old school.” They decided to use the money they had budgeted for the paraffin to buy a log splitter instead.

Amanda*, 48, who is self-employed and lives in Devon in the UK with her two teenage sons, has also cut back drastically on her heating oil use.

“We only have about three weeks’ worth of heating oil left,” she said. “I have had to turn it off as I do not have the extra money to pay the current prices.

“Fortunately, we’ve got an electric shower, but that’s not cheap,” she said. “It’s difficult because you obviously want to keep them [her sons] warm, and you feel guilty that you can’t provide for them.”

Meanwhile, in Kogarah, New South Wales, Alex, 46, a community services worker, has also cut back on driving and is taking public transport more.

“Partly it’s the cost of petrol which has increased since the war started,” she said. “But also, people are panic buying, so I’m just trying not to use the car as much so we don’t struggle to refuel it. When I drive, I try not to use the air conditioning as it uses up more fuel.

“I’m concerned about how it [the war] will drive up fuel prices, but mostly I’m just sad and horrified about the violence and loss of life. War isn’t about security or defending borders. War is what greed looks like in public.”

*Names have been changed