The business secretary has revealed that household energy suppliers are facing a crackdown on direct debit payment demands as customers grapple with record bills for gas and electricity.

Kwasi Kwarteng said via Twitter that “some” companies had been increasing direct debit payments “beyond what is required” and regulator Ofgem had launched a compliance review.

The issue came to a head in March, ahead of the near-£700 hike in the price cap, when the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis told MPs that some companies had doubled direct debits in some cases in a bid to improve their cash flow.