Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is due to announce the result of a review into business energy support in the House of Commons when parliament returns next week from its Christmas break.

Business leaders were forewarned on Wednesday that it will be bad news with Hunt saying that the current level of energy support is “unsustainably expensive” and that the current £18bn scheme was always limited to six months.

The Government’s energy bill relief scheme was launched on 1 October and will run until 20 March.

It covers all “non-domestic” contracts, including businesses, charities, and public sector organisations like schools.

Initially, the Government’s support package for business was set to involve ending support to all firms from April, shifting instead to targeted aid.