EU prepares energy toolbox to shield households as Iran war energy costs mount

BRUSSELS, March 31 (Reuters) - The EU is preparing a "toolbox" of measures for member states to deal with the consequences of the war in Iran, as energy markets will remain disrupted for a long time, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said on Tuesday.

"In financial terms, 30 days of conflict have already added 14 billion euros to the (European) Union's fossil fuel import bill," Jorgensen told reporters in Brussels.

"Even if there would be peace tomorrow, still we would not go back to normal. Energy infrastructure in the region has been ruined by the war and continuously is being ruined," he said.

The upcoming EU toolbox will include proposals on lowering tax rates for electricity and grid tariffs, the commissioner added.

"We are also preparing different opportunities and possibilities that look more like the ones we used under the crisis in 2022," he said.