Hurricane Isaias hitting oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, plus the diesel deal between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, should remind investors that fossil fuels are still the life blood of the industrial economy. Have you got enough energy funds and shares pumping out income and growth in your portfolio?

It’s an increasingly urgent question with winter on the way and rising demand a certainty. Most immediately, more than 100 oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) rigs were shut down yesterday, cutting Gulf of Mexico production in half, ahead of the arrival of hurricane Isaias, with wind speeds hitting 120 miles per hour. Meanwhile, violent conflict in the Middle East continues to restrict oil exports via the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab choke points.

Despite all that, diesel prices fell by 4.5% on Friday after the American president Trump said Russia’s president Putin had agreed to “immediately” release 300,000 tonnes of the fuel “to the American and Global Marketplace”. Trump added that would be followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and a further 1mn tonnes “immediately thereafter”.

Whether any of the above actually happens, which is by no means certain with Trump or Putin promises, it creates an opportunity for investors to consider energy funds and shares before rising demand collides with restricted supply to squeeze prices higher.