The Government’s new package of energy bill support for councils is ‘too little, too late,’ trade union Unison has warned.

Local authorities had been facing eye-watering rises in energy costs while needing to continue delivering essential services.

Ministers said the new scheme could roughly halve the price paid for wholesale gas and electricity by non-domestic customers such as councils.

However, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said councils were ‘still vulnerable because of a general lack of cash’.