THE CHANCELLOR’S cut in fuel duty has been slammed by an energy expert as an “ineffective and unfair response to the cost of living crisis.”

In his Spring Statement, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a five pence cut to fuel duty, to come into force from 6pm this evening and last for one year.

However, Steven Sorrell, professor in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, said that the cut will benefit the richest ten per cent of UK households the most.

He said: “While nearly half of poor households do not own a car, many rich households drive long distances in gas-guzzling SUVs.

“Since the richest ten per cent of UK households spend six times more on fuel than the poorest ten per cent, most of the benefits go to the wealthy.

Professor Sorrell also said that the cut will slow the transition away from fossil fuels and that the government’s efforts could have been more effective in tackling energy bills.

He said: “Not everyone drives, but everyone needs to heat their home. Instead of cutting fuel duty, the government should prioritise help with household heating bills - including scaling up investment in energy efficiency.”

He also said that oil companies may adjust their prices in reaction to the policy to "inflate their profits".

Addressing the House of Commons, Mr Sunak said that the government wanted people to know they will “stand by them” in dealing with rising living costs.

The Chancellor also announced a rise in the National Insurance threshold by £3,000 and that the basic rate of income tax will drop by one per cent by the next election.

However, Mr Sunak drew criticism from Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves for not scrapping a planned rise to National Insurance and called on the government to implement a windfall tax on oil and gas companies.

RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes described the fuel duty cut as a “drop in the ocean” and said it will “only take prices back to where they were just over a week ago.”

He said: “There’s also a very real risk retailers could just absorb some or all of the duty cut themselves by not lowering their prices.

“If this proves to be the case, it will be dire for drivers.”