LIZ Truss is reportedly planning to freeze energy bills until the next General Election, which is scheduled to take place in 2024.

It comes after Truss defeated her rival Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership contest. 

On Tuesday she is set to travel to Balmoral where she will be appointed prime minister by the Queen, whilst Boris Johnson will officially resign. 

According to The Daily Telegraph, after taking office, Truss could plan to freeze energy bills for all households until 2024. 

Under the plans, bills would be subsidised and the current price cap of £1971 for a typical household would be maintained for two years. 

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A similar scheme to limit the energy price increases faced by small and medium-sized businesses is also being considered, it has been reported. 

Truss’s political rivals, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, had called for the energy cap rise to be stopped, with the price cap set to soar to over £3500 from the beginning of October. 

UK energy bills are also being forecast to reach as high as £4266 a year from January.

In her victory speech on Monday, Truss pledged that she would deliver a “bold plan” to cut taxes and grow the economy. 

She said: “During this leadership campaign, I campaigned as a Conservative and I will govern as a Conservative. 

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“We need to show that we will deliver over the next two years. I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. 

“I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people’s energy bills but also dealing with the long-term issues we have on energy supply.”

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has said households cannot be forced to pay back a surcharge on top of their normal bills for years to come. 

He said said the UK government must instead pay for the freeze through a combination of an expanded windfall tax on the excess profits of major companies, including energy companies, and growing UK government tax receipts.

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Blackford added: "Liz Truss must announce an immediate freeze on energy bills as her very first act as Prime Minister - but it must not come at the expense of ordinary families.

"There must be a U-turn on Tory plans to saddle families with a multi-billion pound debt. It would be completely unacceptable for the Tory government to force households to pay an energy bill surcharge for years to come. Liz Truss must think again.

"Instead of forcing ordinary people to pay the price, the energy bill freeze should be funded through an expanded windfall tax on the excess profits of major companies and growing UK government tax receipts.

"And the freeze must be in place for as long as is necessary - not just until January."

Meanwhile, SNP Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss warned the Tory government against "reverting to type" with tax cuts for the richest few and, instead, urged Truss to "do the right thing" by targeting resources at those on low and middle incomes.

Last Sunday, Truss said it is "fair" that tax cuts would benefit the rich more than the poor.

Thewliss said: "Liz Truss has among the worst poll ratings of any incoming UK Prime Minister for decades. The overwhelming majority of Scots don't want her to be Prime Minister - and have little to no confidence that she'll tackle the Tory cost of living crisis in the right way.

"If she wants to turn around her sinking ship, she must ditch Tory plans to benefit the very richest with tax cuts - and, instead, do the right thing by targeting cash at low and middle income families."

A new YouGov poll found 57% of Scots are "disappointed" that Truss will be Prime Minister, seven in ten (69%) say she will be "worse" or "about the same" as Johnson, and eight in ten (78%) say they have 'no confidence' or "not very much confidence" that she will have the right plans to tackle the rising cost of living.

"After a decade of Tory cuts and Brexit damage, the UK already has the worst inequality of any country in north west Europe and millions of people are languishing in poverty.

"Instead of reverting to type with tax cuts for the wealthy few, the UK government must follow the lead of the Scottish Government and target resources at ordinary families. This must include matching the £25 a week Scottish Child Payment UK-wide, which would benefit millions.

"The UK government has refused to devolve key powers to the Scottish Parliament - so it must finally use its reserved powers to act."