The weak US dollar, rising demand, and supply concerns keep oil at highs that have soared by around 40 per cent since the start of 2008.

In fact, the oil price has more than doubled compared with a year ago!
Despite attempts to calm fears, the future looks bleak.

Analyst boffins at the Goldman Sachs company suggest we could see the first $200 barrel of oil within two years.

With the oil producers' cartel Opec (no relation!) stating it won't increase production before September, we face a looming crisis.

Indeed, last Tuesday lorry drivers and hauliers protested in London and along the M4 in Wales. The protests were aimed at persuading ministers to lower road and fuel taxes.

And here's the local problem: 97,000 homes in Wales use oil to heat their homes – so the impact of fuel hikes on rural Wales is dramatic.

It's not through choice either. Many households aren't connected to gas. With average annual bills totalling £1,265 using oil – in contrast to £656 for gas – local households are really feeling the pinch.

To address the soaring costs of oil we require a fuel audit to determine exactly how many people are suffering. It's often the vulnerable who suffer most. Unlike the rest of the energy supply industry which benefits from regulation by Ofgem, there is no similar regulator for the oil industry. This can help a bit.

I've already registered my concern in Parliament over fuel prices putting strain on rural areas. And Ministers CAN reduce tax on fuel in rural areas – it's perfectly feasible and actually IS done in other countries.

But Government must also actively seeking alternatives to oil for our economic future – and fast!

If Mr Brown was to visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth he'd discover answers already exist. We just need the political leadership to apply them.

To make matters worse, the past few weeks have seen a dramatic increase in heating oil thefts – direct thanks to the soaring value of heating fuel. Officers say the thieves are targeting heating oil supplies on "an almost industrial scale". Even if that can be fixed, Montgomeryshire is being robbed of its standard of living by factors beyond our own control.

If we're really going to escape the shackle of soaring fuel bills the only practical solution is to move AWAY from fossil fuels. T

hat could take years and be relatively hard work.

But if the Government clings to fossil fuels, what we've experienced so far is nothing compared to the pain that lies ahead.