LONDON

The EU’s energy commissioner on Tuesday urged Europeans to work from home where possible and reduce highway speed limits as the energy crisis deepens amid continued Middle East escalation.

“Even if … peace is here tomorrow, still we will not go back to normal in the foreseeable future,” Dan Jorgensen told reporters after an extraordinary meeting of EU energy ministers.

“The more you can do to save oil — especially diesel and jet fuel — the better off we are,” he said.

Jorgensen also urged EU member states to follow recommendations by the International Energy Agency, including working from home where possible, reducing highway speed limits by 10 kilometers per hour, encouraging public transport, alternating private car use, increasing car sharing, and adopting efficient driving practices.

The US-Israel war with Iran and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted regional energy flows, contributing to shortages and price pressures worldwide.

On March 2, Iran announced restrictions on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil tankers, threatening attacks on vessels attempting to pass without coordination.

About 20 million barrels of oil transit the strait daily, and its effective closure has driven up oil prices as well as shipping and insurance costs, raising global economic concerns.