Nicola Sturgeon has warned Scots face a winter of "increasing deprivation" unless action is taken now to lower the cost of energy.
The First Minister said many families faced destitution in the coming months as a result of soaring bills.
And the SNP leader claimed the UK Government - which holds powers over the energy market - was "missing in action" over the issue.
It comes as Boris Johnson earlier appealed to electricity companies to act "in the national interest" to help ease the pressure on vulnerable consumers in the face of soaring energy prices.
Following roundtable talks in Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the UK Government would continue to work with the sector – however there was no new announcement of immediate help for hard-pressed families.
The crisis meeting was summoned after analysts warned earlier this week that average annual household energy bills were set to top £4,200 by the start of next year.
Sturgeon insisted greater action was required now to avert a bigger crisis in the coming months.
She said: "When we look ahead at what is projected to happen with energy costs, this is not just a situation of families feeling a squeeze and having to tighten their belts in order to meet higher bills.
"There are going to be many, many families who simply cannot pay these bills because they don’t have the wherewithal to do it.
"That is the magnitude and the severity of the emergency that’s being faced.
"It’s of a different nature to the Covid pandemic but I think is on a similar scale to the emergency that that created and if it’s not tackled with serious urgent action, we’re going to see increasing deprivation, suffering.
“We’re going to see undoubtedly loss of life.”
'No stone unturned'
Sturgeon also insisted the Scottish Government would leave "no stone unturned" on the issue.
Discussing issues reserved to the UK Government, she called for the next energy price rise to be cancelled, a windfall tax and restructuring of energy companies and the removal of VAT on fuel.
Sturgeon said she agreed with many of the proposals made by Gordon Brown in an intervention earlier this week.
She said: "I stand ready as First Minister to work with the UK Government, but they are missing in action right now while people suffer and suffer in an increasingly severe way.”
The SNP leader said "we perhaps need to hear more from Keir Starmer as well" on action which could be taken at Westminster.
After cancelling the energy bill price cap, she said the UK Government should examine the “root causes” of price rises.
Boris Johnson today said any “significant fiscal decisions” would be for his successor as Prime Minister.
But the Tory leader stressed that – in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine which is driving prices to record levels – it was important the energy sector worked with the UK Government “in the national interest”.
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said ministers were continuing to monitor the “extraordinary profits” some companies were making.
