Plans to slash energy bills for hard-pressed families in the north and north-east have been thrown into doubt.
The new Conservative majority government at Westminster sparked anger last night by refusing to confirm that it will proceed with a scheme to ease the burden on consumers.
Northern Scotland has long pad the highest electricity bills in the country because of a regional pricing distribution system that has been widely condemned.
The Press and Journal launched its Fair Deal on Energy Prices campaign last October to push for an overhaul.
UK ministers responded at the Budget in March, announcing that an urgent consultation would be launched, with the intention of pegging the region to the area that pays the next highest bills.
The move – which was welcomed a key first step to changing the system – would directly cut about £30 from average bills for households across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the Highlands and islands, and would combine with other government measures to reduce costs by up to £70 a year.
However, the initiative was driven forward by former Liberal Democrat Inverness MP Danny Alexander, who was chief secretary to the Treasury at the time but has since lost his seat.
Asked by the Press and Journal if the project would go ahead, a government spokesman refused to commit to the scheme
He said: “The new government is considering how it takes forward a number of policies.
“Once a decision is taken on how to progress the measure announced in the Budget, more information will be provided. ”
Di Alexander, chairman of Lochaber Housing Association and father of Danny Alexander, has been a leading campaigner on the issue.
He said: “I think the government at the very least should stick to the commitment given previously.
“More needs to be done rather than less in terms of tackling these energy prices that are being imposed on the north of Scotland, and the Highlands and islands in particular.
“It’s an absolute disgrace and the sooner the government does something the better it will be.”
Callum McCaig, SNP energy spokesman and Aberdeen South MP, said: “This is a serious issue. There is a clear injustice in terms of electricity bills in the north of Scotland, with no justification for why this has been the case.
“A commitment was made and that commitment must absolutely be kept.”
Councillor Angus Mccormack, chairman of Western Isles Poverty Action Group, has also been campaigning for reform.
He said: “It’s very, very important that they stand by the decision they had taken before.
“Not only that, they need to go a great deal further than what they were proposing. They need to ensure that everybody in the UK is paying the same amount for electricity.
“That would seem to be fair, and it’s absolutely crucial.
“The Western Isles Council is currently attempting to establish a meeting with SSE and Ofgem to discuss all of these issues.”
