THE government’s “lack of urgency” has left 1.7 million people waiting for months for energy bill support amid soaring fuel poverty, MPs have said.

The public accounts committee (PAC) raised “serious concerns” about the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s “lack of urgency in addressing the energy market failures that are leading to high energy bills for consumers.”

In February, the department said £16 billion of the £69bn support scheme was paid to households and businesses amid high fuel prices between October and December last year.

The PAC however found around 900,000 households without a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier only became eligible for the domestic consumers’ Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding five months later on February 27.

Some 830,000 households in Northern Ireland only began receiving support with their energy bills in January.

PAC chairwoman Meg Hillier said: “We need to see better understanding from government on vulnerable customers’ circumstances so that help can be prioritised for those who need it most, and to deliver value for money in these extremely expensive schemes.

“As a matter of urgency government must show it’s clear not just on how households and businesses will be protected in any future price rises, but how to ensure resilience in the sector as a whole.”

End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis said fuel poverty is worsening as “the wider cost-of-living crisis bites hard,” with rising levels of energy debt  a “key priority the government must address.”

A department spokesman said: “Today’s report fails to recognise the complexities of delivering support to households without a direct relationship with a supplier – and it’s right we made sure there was a robust system to help protect people against fraud before rolling it out.”