Charities warned yesterday that Scotland's early lurch into winter will deepen the country's fuel poverty crisis.

Scotland experienced a sudden cold snap yesterday with temperatures plummeting below zero and snow falling in the north.

Forecasting service Meteogroup said that Arctic winds leave the country facing at least a fortnight of near-freezing conditions - leaving families having to deal with a November 3?C colder than last year.

It's estimated that a third of Scottish households are in fuel poverty, spending at least a tenth of their income on energy bills.

Child Poverty Action Group Scotland director John Dickie said the plummeting temperatures would only add to the struggles many parents faced simply to meet their family's basic needs.

He said: "At a time when UK government tax and benefit changes are ripping billions from the pockets of our poorest families, it is vital that government in Scotland does all it can to reduce the financial pressure on parents by - for example - building on existing fuel poverty programmes and by delivering on the promise of free school meals for all children in the early years of primary."

Energy Action Scotland deputy director Elizabeth Gore said the heat-or-eat dilemma "inevitably" worsened over winter - especially after the latest round of energy price rises, with the average household fuel bill now at £1,430 per year.

And even big business demanded a crackdown on the big six energy retailers, with manufacturers' association EEF warning high rates could jeopardise future investment in Britain.

EEF chief executive Terry Scuoler called on Tory Chancellor George Osborne to address business energy costs as a "top priority."

Mr Scuoler said: "These are rising faster than our competitors, squeezing margins which will risk choking off the investment recovery.

"Without this, we risk losing out on the investment in new technology and jobs that our economy desperately needs."