The government has been criticised for only spending a quarter of the funds it pledged for energy efficiency.

Gordon Brown pledged £20m in last year’s budget to “help local authorities and others work in partnership with energy companies to promote and incentivise energy efficiency measures to households”.

The figures were released by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in response to a parliamentary question by Linda Gilroy, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton.

Defra said £4.75m was used to help fund a smart meter trial in 40,000 homes. But some £10m of the promised money was used to set up a Carbon Trust scheme to help hospitals and local authorities fit wind turbines.

And Defra said the remaining funds had been cut to £500,000 due to “a broader reprioritisation related to wider budget pressures”.

Greg Barker, shadow environment minister, said: “To find out only £5m has found its way into real energy saving programmes is extraordinary.”