The government has been urged to impose a one-off windfall tax on the profits of energy firms so as to help poorer households struggling to cope with rising gas and electricity bills.

Coming soon after Shell, BP and British Gas owner Centrica all reported multi-billion pound profits, a petition signed by more than 80 MPs has called on the government to take action to deal with the growing problem of fuel poverty across the UK.

Furthermore, according to Compass, the consumer pressure group behind the initiative, many more MPs are set to join the calls once they return from their summer recess, with pressure to build on the chancellor even further should suppliers opt to put tariffs up again before the start of winter.

According to the BBC, while the government is looking into the possibility of imposing a windfall tax on energy firms, it is nevertheless wary of taking steps which could deter prospective investors.

Just this week, a study carried out by YouGov for the Observer revealed that 67% of people in the UK would be in favour of such a tax.