Agreement on one cost-of-living motion did not stretch as far as the second Labour-proposed motion at Swindon Borough Council’s full meeting.

Proposed by Councillor Paul Dixon, the motion said as many homes as possible should be insulated in order to help with fuel costs.

But it also suggested that Conservative leader of the council David Renard write to the Prime Minister saying support for rising bills should be paid for, not through borrowing, but a windfall tax on energy companies.

That was the sticking point for getting Conservative support - necessary for a motion to pass in the Tory-dominated chamber.

Leader of the council David Renard said: “In terms of improving energy efficiency, that’s a principle we can all sign up to.

“The issue we have is how all this should be funded."

Labour’s spokesman on the environment Jane Milner-Barry urged supporting the motion saying that a tax on hugely increased profits of oil and gas extracting firms would encourage them to invest more into developing renewable energy technologies.

But the cabinet member for organisational excellence Dale Heenan said: “This motion makes plenty of reasonable points, and action is important. But we can’t agree on it being funded by a windfall tax which is a national opposition position.”

The motion was defeated as Conservative votes outnumbered Labour’s.