Earlier, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said it struck “a strange chord” that political leaders in Northern Ireland would call on Sir Keir to act on high energy prices when there was funding “waiting to be dispensed”.

“He was as aghast as I was to discover that £81m is sitting there waiting to be dispensed to assist consumers in Northern Ireland,” Robinson said.

The DUP criticised the DfE after its top official was unable to provide details of the scheme when taking questions from MLAs at Stormont on Tuesday.

The typical annual household electricity bill in Northern Ireland is about £1,000.

Archibald hit back at DUP claims that her department was sitting on funding.

“It’s important to say there is not a pot of £81m sitting there,” she said.

“What has been talked about this week is either misinformation deliberately or somebody doesn’t understand what the situation actually is.”

The reduction in household electricity bills by £30 per year, would be for a period of three years, but the minister said that requires legislation to be passed at Westminster which she expects to happen by the summer.

The Northern Ireland Assembly’s Economy Committee is due to meet on Monday for an emergency committee meeting on the issue.

DUP assembly member Philip Brett, who chairs the committee has welcomed the move and said the minister is “now facing significant and difficult questions”.

“I have been asking questions of the department for months, yet it is only when publicly embarrassed at Tuesday’s committee that we see a scramble to cover the ignorance and inaction which seems to define the Department’s approach,” he said.

Archibald told The View she had a “demanding” diary in the coming days and “will confirm with the committee whether I am able to attend or not as soon as possible”.

“We are not getting an additional £81m, this is not how this will happen, this is a reduction that will come off people’s bills, it is through a particular type of funding that comes from the Treasury, so there isn’t a pot of £80m sitting,” she added.