End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis called it a “short-term act of weakness” by the Chancellor, adding: “It’s entirely possible to bring down energy bills in a fair way – by improving insulation, reforming electricity pricing, and using public investment to upgrade our grid.”

Jonathan Bean of Fuel Poverty Action said: “The government should be focused on getting homes fixed, and replacing the failed Eco4 scheme with a well-funded home upgrade program that delivers high-quality work and guaranteed bill savings.  

“We need a bigger investment in retrofit skills and quality control, not a budget cut that ends up in the pockets of the oil and gas giants.”

A Treasury spokesperson said: “We do not comment on speculation around future changes to tax policy outside of fiscal events.”