"If you take buses, trains or planes, you will be paying more for your fare. And our shops are filled with plastics, which are oil-based products," says Roy Holloway, the director of the Petrol Retailers' Association. "When producing - and delivering - these household goods gets more expensive, consumers will bear the brunt."

With wholesale gas prices increasing, supply companies such as Powergen and British Gas are among those forecasting bigger bills for consumers. Powergen is putting up its gas prices by 11.9% and electricity by 7.2%; British Gas has warned of a 15% rise in the year ahead.