The global rise in oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East has made the import of fossil fuels more expensive. For Switzerland, the additional energy costs could amount to nearly CHF5 billion ($6.3 billion) per year, according to a researcher. The military escalation in the Persian Gulf is driving up the prices of fossil fuels. The energy crisis also has heavy repercussions for households and the Swiss economy. Anyone travelling by car or heating their home can feel the impact of the conflict in the Middle East. The price of diesel has surpassed CHF2 per litre — something that had not happened since 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and petrol prices have risen by more than CHF0.20 since the beginning of March. The steepest increases affect kerosene, whose price has more than doubled since the start of the military operations, and heating oil, which has gone from CHF100 to CHF150 per 100 litres. If the prices of petrol, diesel, heating oil, kerosene and natural …