Environmental taxes hit a new record high of £44.6 billion in 2014, official figures show, as the bill for renewable energy levies rose to almost £3 billion.

The data from the ONS shows that the green tax burden has more than doubled over the past two decades, from £19.4 billion in 1994.

Last year saw the ninth consecutive increase in the tax burden, which stood at £43 billion in 2013.

The vast majority of the taxes are those levied on transport fuels such as petrol and diesel, accounting for £27.1

billion. Vehicle duties accounted for £6 billion of the total and air passenger duty £3.2 billion.

The cost of renewable energy taxes to subsidise wind and solar farms rose by more than a fifth to £2.9 billion.