Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and former Labour leader Ed Miliband has said Conservative Chancellor Rishi Sunak has 'sided with the gas companies' over the British people.
The minister for Net Zero also said Mr Sunak has 'failed the test' to act accordingly in response to the price cap rising by £693 from April 1, 2022.
The Chancellor revealed a £9 billion package in the House of Commons on February 3 to "take the sting" out of the rising gas and electricity bills, just hours after energy regulator Ofgem revealed the hike in price cap which is set to befall nearly 22 million people in England, Scotland and Wales in less than two months time.
The measures include £350 worth of support for nearly 80% of homes in Great Britain, consisting of a £150 council tax rebate for those in properties in bands A to D, a £200 loan to be made repayable at £40 per year from 2023 and £150 million in support for local authorities to support residents most in need.
However, in a scathing review of these measures on BBC Breakfast, Ed Miliband said Mr Sunak's measures were "wholly inadequate to the scale of the crisis" facing the British people, highlighting Labour's proposals:
"We know the price cap is going up by nearly £700 and what he (Sunak) is offering is at best £350, but £200 of that is a loan, like a buy now, pay later scheme.
"Labour's argument has been very clear, we should have had a windfall tax on the profits of those big oil and gas companies and done much more, particularly for the poorest - so in our plan, we would have ensured that for 9 million families in the most need, we would have seen nearly £600 taken off their bills, so nearly eliminating the price cap."
Mr Miliband then went on to say the Chancellor has 'sided with the gas companies over the British people':
"I'm afraid the chancellor doesn't seem to get it - and the tragedy is he could have done more, there were resources available if he decided to tax those big gas and oil companies.
"Chancellors in the past, both Conservative and Labour, George Osborne, Geoffrey Howe, Gordon Brown have acted where we've seen big rises in the oil and gas prices - he's decided not to act, that was the wrong choice, the wrong priority.
"He didn't side with the British people, he sided with the oil and gas companies."
The shadow minister later added: "He hasn't acted and I'm afraid his job when there is sort of crisis is to act and he's failed that test."
The resignations of a series of top Downing Street aides showed Boris Johnson is "taking charge", a Government minister has said.
Energy Minister Greg Hands said the Prime Minister had promised there would be changes at No 10 in his response to the publication of the Sue Gray report into lockdown parties in Whitehall on Monday.
Four senior officials announced on Thursday they would be leaving No 10 including chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and principal private secretary Martin Reynolds.
"Resignations have been made, resignations have been accepted," Mr Hands told Sky News.
"The Prime Minister was absolutely clear on Monday that there would be changes at the top of No 10 and that is what he has delivered.
"The Sue Gray report update said that there were failings at the top of the operation. This is the Prime Minister taking charge.
"This is a wider issue than just the Sue Gray report. This is about saying we need changes at No 10, which is what the Prime Minister said on Monday."
