However, other European countries with similar public debt burdens to Britain, such as France and Spain, have recently reduced their fuel tariffs or subsidized users.
And they are not alone: Norway, Ireland and Poland have joined the European trend.
Meanwhile, looming oil supply shortages are forcing many Asian countries to rely on imports. Affordability is not the main issue there – leaders are more concerned about running out of supply altogether.
Governments are taking more drastic measures than Britain can imagine, including handing out goods and encouraging citizens to stay in their cars.
When he was asked if he was considering the level of petrol, as has been the case in other European countries, the Prime Minister insisted that the advice to motorists is that “there is no need to do anything other than what is normal”.
Everywhere you look, countries are announcing measures to deal with what could be the worst energy crisis the world has ever seen. As this policy crescendo builds, the silence from Downing Street grows more deafening.
Here’s a look at what some major countries are doing in response to the oil shock:
Australia
of Australia Mr Albanese said on Monday he would halve the national tax on petrol and diesel to 26 cents (13p) a liter for three months, and end the road user charge on heavy vehicles.
The measures will cost 2.6 billion Australian dollars (£1.3bn). Economists have raised concerns that increased government spending could fuel Australia’s already high inflation, which could lead to higher interest rates.
But Mr Albanese said he had to deal with the costs of the health problems that were in front of him, rather than worrying about what lay below.
“We are making fuel cheaper today because we understand that Australians are under a lot of pressure,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“People should enjoy their Easter, and it’s also important to keep the economy going.”
New Zealand has yet to cut taxes, but it will increase the in-work tax credit by 50 New Zealand dollars (£22) a week, which will help 150,000 low-income households with higher prices at the tap.
The increase will last 12 months from April 1, or until the average price of petrol falls below NZ$3 a liter for four consecutive weeks. The government is considering canceling the proposed fuel tax increase next year.
Europe
France has allocated more than 70 million euros (£61m) to subsidize fuel costs for trucking companies and its fishing fleet, and cut farmers’ diesel taxes to zero.
The steps will only take a month at first. “My main concern is, above all, to support growth while ensuring that every euro of public money is used correctly,” said Roland Lescure, France’s finance minister.
France’s government debt-to-GDP ratio is 113pc, higher than the UK figure of 94pc.
Spain’s debt to GDP is 101pc, but Pedro Sanchez, the left-wing prime minister, has also unveiled a relief package. The €5bn plan includes cutting VAT on fuel from 21pc to 10pc, which could save drivers around €20 a tank, on average.
Italy to reduce its property tax on March 18 for an initial three-week period. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister, also revealed a tax break of 608 million euros for the purchase of diesel by trucking companies.
Norway will give up 3.3 billion Norwegian krone (£250m) in revenue after withdrawing a five-month road user tax from 1 April.
Ireland will cut its tariffs on diesel and petrol by around a fifth until the end of May. Its total package, which includes measures to reduce domestic heating oil, diesel rebates and energy support for welfare recipients, will cost €235m.
Poland will cut VAT on fuel from 23pc to 8pc, and has already capped the sale price of petrol and diesel to prevent service stations from pocketing savings rather than passing them on to motorists.
It is reported that Germans living near the Polish border are crossing the border to fill their cars and jerry cans with cheap Polish petrol. This has led to local service stations starting to deliver.
Germany it does not issue a fuel allowance but has limited petrol stations to raise prices once a day, with fines of up to €100,000 for front-line violators.
Slovenia it is the only country in Europe with a legal policy to limit food intake, with drivers limited to 50 liters per day. The cost of businesses and farmers is 200 liters.
Asia
India has reduced the tax on fuel. Its diesel duty has gone from a rate of around 7p a liter to zero, and petrol duty from 10p to 2p.
This could cost the government 1.55 billion rupees (£12.4bn), according to economists quoted by Bloomberg. But the government intends to recoup some of this through a levy on the export of diesel and jet fuel.
Japan has taken a different approach, seeking aid rather than tax cuts. To stop rising prices, the authorities will give 300 billion Japanese yen (£1.4bn) to petrol and diesel suppliers every month.
It has also released oil from its stockpile and asked retailers to move their prices from the Dubai benchmark to Brent in an effort to lower prices.
Elsewhere in the region, rising costs and the inability to repatriate goods from the Gulf have shifted the focus of these countries from lowering prices to dampening demand.
Sri Lanka has told civil servants not to work on Wednesday, and its fuel distribution system limits motorists to just 15 liters a day.
Bangladesh was quick to start supplying fuel after the war with Iran started. But public confusion over long queues at filling stations prompted authorities to back down on March 15.
The system has now become temporary, and petrol stations are reportedly setting their own purchase limits. The lines are not gone yet.
The Philippines has not introduced any taxes or tax cuts, but has declared a one-year state of emergency. It gets almost all of its crude oil from the Gulf.
With only 45 days worth of oil left in the country’s stock, Ferdinand Marcos, the president, says his government’s goal is to get more supplies.
However, the emergency announcement gives him a free hand to take control of fuel and power distribution if needed.
“Nothing is off the table,” he said.
Top-down budget measures are also in place in Cambodia and Myanmar. But some Asian countries have added jobs to industries and households to reduce demand.
South Korea has told citizens to drive less, take shorter showers and use their washing machines and vacuum cleaners only on weekends.
Korea’s industrial conglomerates have been told to reduce electricity consumption, and the government is restarting five nuclear reactors and reducing the limits of coal power.
The country gets 70pc of its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and only has a two-month supply in its stock.
Korean authorities have also lowered petrol and diesel taxes and cut prices.
Vietnam has produced a similar carrot mixture and it sticks to Korea. Communist authorities have encouraged citizens to ride bicycles, use public transport, motor vehicles and prevent unnecessary use of cars.
But they have also reduced the range of taxes on petrol and diesel, and have intervened in the retail markets to stabilize the price hike.
China has a gap in the price of petrol and diesel, but raised it by half the normal amount during the latest review on March 23.
North America
United States gas prices are still very low, around $3.96 a liter (£0.79 a litre) nationally.
However, prices are rising and this has led some politicians to call for the country’s petrol tax to be suspended. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, said last Thursday that he was “thinking about” doing this, but suggested that individual countries should look at stopping their fuel taxes.
of Canada Mark Carney, the prime minister, is yet to announce any measures to deal with the energy crisis, although the country completed this month a long-term move to remove the net-zero tax on petrol and diesel.
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