Money from the windfall tax should be used to fund a nationwide, street-by-street home insulation programme, says Friends of the Earth.

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner, Sana Yusuf, said:

“A tax on the excess profits of the oil and gas industry is absolutely the right move, but these measures are a sticking plaster solution that fails to tackle one of the root causes of soaring heating costs – the UK’s poorly insulated homes.

“While emergency support will bring some relief to those already struggling to pay their energy bills, the package misses the opportunity to invest in a free, street-by-street insulation programme, targeting those most in need first, which would reduce bills this winter and in the future.”