Energy bill help drives UK borrowing to February record

Energy enactment schemes for households pushed authorities borrowing successful February to its highest level for the period since records began successful 1993.

Borrowing, the quality betwixt spending and taxation income, was £16.7bn, past month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The ONS said this was mostly owed to spending connected vigor schemes this year.

However, the involvement paid connected authorities indebtedness was £6.9bn successful February - £1.3bn little than a twelvemonth earlier.

The magnitude borrowed exceeded economists' expectations and followed a astonishment surplus successful the nationalist finances successful January.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said borrowing was "still high" was due to the fact that the authorities was supporting households with the rising outgo of living.

He said the authorities was "spending astir £1,500 per household to wage conscionable nether fractional of people's vigor bills this winter".