Campaigners have given the thumbs down to new plans by the UK government aimed at helping elderly and vulnerable people pay their fuel bills.

Campaign groups say the plans do not go far enough, and that poorer families will continue to face a fuel crisis.

SNP MP Mike Weir agreed the measures did “little to address the real problem of fuel poverty”.

“The amount of money pledged by the big energy companies over three years is a pittance compared to their enormous profits," he said.

“It is simply not good enough to propose that consumers be put on the best tariff their supplier has, since there is a substantial discrepancy between the different social tariffs offered by the various companies.

“Similarly it is highly unlikely that many of the fuel poor will benefit from switching since it is very difficult, if not impossible, to do so if you are on a pre-payment meter or already in debt to your existing supplier, as many are due to the rocketing price of fuel.”

Mr Weir, who has campaigned for help for those who use home fuel oil and off-mains gas, was scathing about the failure to help this group, adding:

“Yet again the UK Government is only dealing with mains gas and electricity customers, and has totally failed to help the mainly rural consumers who use home fuel oil or bottled gas.

“They are the hidden face of fuel poverty and do not even get the limited help available to gas and electricity consumers.

“The present UK Government seem to neither appreciate nor care about their plight. Urgent action is needed to bring them within the system."