With global oil prices continuing to plummet, Labour challenged the Tory Government to support plans to give the energy regulator the power to cut energy prices when wholesale costs fall, and take immediate action to ensure that the full reductions on wholesale costs are passed on to all consumers.

The SNP and Tory Governments have so far refused to back Labour's proposals for an energy price freeze, despite new research from Charity Turn2us showing that a huge 77% of low income families in Scotland struggled with their energy bills in the last year, with children’s health and wellbeing harmed by strained family finances. Ms Jamieson said: "This new research from Turn2us shows how many people in Scotland are struggling to cope with their energy bills. The impact this is having on families and children is shocking and unacceptable.

"Meanwhile, big energy companies benefiting from the fall in wholesale prices are refusing to pass those benefits on to consumers.

"That is why Labour has set out radical plans to freeze energy prices until 2017. This will ensure that prices can fall but not rise, which, according to the House of Commons Library, will save £300 million for Scottish households and £200 million for businesses. We will also fix the energy market for the future, with a tough new regulator to curb rip-off bills.

"Despite acknowledging that the energy market is broken, the Tory and SNP Governments have done nowhere near enough to help ordinary people. It is time they stopped dithering and gave their unequivocal backing to Labour's energy price freeze."