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The government also said funding for its national fuel poverty scheme - Warmer Homes Scotland - had been increased by £20m.

Ms Martin said she would introduce a bill only when she could be satisfied it would both decarbonise houses and decrease fuel poverty.

But Martin said: "I'm going to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill when I can be satisfied that those interventions within it will decrease fuel poverty at the same time as decarbonising houses."

"The burden of high energy bills has gone on long enough and as long as our energy bills remain tied to the cost of gas, households continue to be at the mercy of global markets and the fossil fuel industry," said Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

"What Ofgem is proposing is more to hide standing charges within the unit rates, even allowing energy firms to charge more for the first units of energy which is completely the opposite from what we actually need," said Jonathan Bean, from campaign group Fuel Poverty Action.