Up to £240billion will be required to upgrade the UK's electricity network to help the country meet clean energy targets. Fresh government estimates show the cost of building pylons and power lines will soar over the next 24 years.

The costs would be added to consumers' energy bills, with the scale of upgrades highlighted at a conference attended by officials from Ed Miliband's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

According to the Daily Telegraph, Will Lochhead, a deputy director at DESNZ, said the electricity grid relied on today was mostly built in the 1960s and not designed for future demand.

He is quoted by the same publication as saying: "As we electrify transport, heating, industry and other sectors, electricity demand is expected to more than double by 2050.

"Meeting this demand would require between £100-240bn of investment in the electricity network by 2050."

Officials were reportedly told DESNZ analysis shows electricity demand per year will rise 10% by 2030, 50% by 2035 and over 100% by 2050.

Energy costs have led to a fracturing of support for the need to address climate change among mainstream political parties in the UK.

The Government admits electricity demand has been falling over the last two decades due to energy efficiency improvements and structural shifts in the economy.

It is expecting this to change, with future electricity demand set to increase as the UK electrifies heating, transport and parts of industry.

A DESNZ spokesperson said: "We urgently need to rewire Britain's grid after decades of underinvestment to power homes and businesses.

"We are going further and faster in our clean energy mission because it is the only route to lower bills for good."

The Government insists not upgrading grid infrastructure will lead to "significantly" higher costs. DESNZ argues that reinforcements due by 2030 can reduce constraint costs by £4-5bn.

Ministers also expect reforms will help unlock £40bn per year in "mainly" private investment in clean power and energy schemes.

National Energy System Operator and the Climate Change Committee both forecast a rise in electricity consumption over the next 20 years as uptake of clean energy tech, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, accelerates.