FUEL poverty campaigners warned today that Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s words “don’t inspire confidence” for households facing rising energy bills.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition (EFPC) hit back after government sources suggested there would be no further support before October’s price cap rise.

Additional help would be costed in the budget and would be contingent on developments in the Iran war over the coming months, according to government sources.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the rise in bills was driven by the US war on Iran and that the government will “keep looking at what more we can do to protect families from unaffordable bills.”

Mr Burnham said: “I think if we’re going to get people’s energy bills down, we have to work towards the day when we can delink gas and electricity pricing.”

End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis told the Morning Star that ministers must go “further and faster in bringing in support for households and reform of energy bills.”

Mr Francis added: “Bringing down energy prices must be at the centre of the Budget.

“But forcing households through a sixth winter of sky-high energy bills, caused by the power that volatile gas prices have on our energy system, is not going to help anyone.

“Phrases like ‘work towards’ don’t inspire confidence in the urgency of the situation. Households need energy market reform, an energy debt relief scheme, an expanded Warm Home Discount and a reformed Cold Weather Payment this winter, not at some vague point in the future.”

Chancellor John Healey said: “No government can stop the squeeze felt by families and businesses with a global shock of this magnitude. It’s being felt around the world.”