switch off

"I don't think so," he replied when asked about the switch-off at 24-5.

"Every start and switch-off of the engine counts as one cycle," he explained.

The switch-off will begin on a smaller scale, and affected homes and businesses will be contacted by suppliers "well ahead of time", the energy department said.

Fuel poverty campaigners said the switch-off process had been "doomed to failure" after it became clear that the 30 June deadline was "simply unachievable".

He called for a plan "that sets out how the gradual switch-off will take place, including which regions will be affected and when".