Government 'responsible' for fuel poverty

Around 300,000 extra households could be forced into fuel poverty within weeks, according to a lobby group.

The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to tackle what it describes as a "spiralling" problem.

A household is considered to be in fuel poverty if more than 10% of its income is spent on home heating.

FPAG chairman Derek Lickorish told BBC News that the energy companies were only partly responsible for rising prices, as the government controls the framework of the energy industry.