Fuel crisis: Albanese Government to spend $20 million on ad campaign telling people how to conserve fuel

Australian motorists are being encouraged to conserve fuel and drive less in a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign launched in response to the energy crisis.

Titled “every little bit helps”, the federal government will roll out the $20 million campaign from Monday across television, radio, online channels, billboards and posters.

The ads ask members of the public to consider using their cars less by walking or taking public transport, and provide tips to improve fuel efficiency, from “driving smoothly” to “unloading excess weight”.

It comes two weeks after national cabinet met and announced a national fuel security plan.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the government was appealing to Australians who wanted to do their bit as the energy crisis gripped the nation.

“This is really a team Australia moment where all of us can do a little bit,” she told Sky News on Sunday.

“This is about how everyday Australians can help and the little things that they can do that will make a big difference, and to make sure that our fuel continues to flow.”

But Liberal frontbencher James Paterson said Australians did not want to be lectured in “taxpayer-funded political propaganda about driving less”.

More than 170 service stations are still without diesel across Australia as Iran chokes shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit channel, in response to US and Israeli strikes.

A temporary ceasefire has been brokered, but disruptions in the strait continued, with Energy Minister Chris Bowen warning of a “long tail” to the conflict.

“Even if it opened today, there’s a big backlog of ships. There’s been gas plants bombed out of existence,” he said.

“The international energy situation will take a long time to recover from this. This is not over.”

Australia has 38 days’ supply of petrol, 31 days of diesel and 28 days of jet fuel.

Diesel - a key fuel for freight and agriculture that flows through to grocery prices - has experienced a two-day improvement in reserves, while petrol and jet fuel have slipped modestly.

While the government assures ships are still arriving in Australia and 4.1 billion litres of fuel have been locked in, prices at the pump remain elevated and some service stations remain dry, particularly in regional areas.

A total of 173 service stations across Australia are out of diesel, representing 2.2 per cent of all refuelling stops.

NSW petrol stations are the most likely to be out of fuel.

Australia has been ramping up diplomatic efforts to secure fuel supplies, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meeting with his Singaporean counterpart on Friday.

Mr Albanese and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong inked an agreement to continue trading large quantities of fuel and gas between the two nations.

The deal stated the countries would “make maximum efforts to meet each other’s energy security needs” but no specific guarantee was made to prioritise Australia if Singapore’s refineries were forced to reduce output.

Australia has also been working to diversify its fuel supply chains beyond Southeast Asia, securing supplies from South American countries and Algeria.

The federal opposition has been calling for better energy self-reliance, with National Party leader Matt Canavan suggesting Australia should make better use of its oil and gas resources rather than relying on trading partners.

The federal government has also halved the fuel excise tax in response to the energy crisis.