Last week it was revealed that households closest to new pylons and electricity substations could receive up to £10,000 off their bills over the next decade. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will detail the bid to reduce the delays to projects because of planning objections in his autumn statement on Wednesday.

The move will come alongside plans to halve the time it takes to deliver new electricity networks to seven years, and a prioritisation of the rollout of electric vehicle charging points. The UK Treasury declined to say who would be paying for the discounts, or offer any information on how close houses would have to be to qualify for the maximum discount.

Under the scheme there could be thousands of Welsh homes compensated if plans go ahead for a new electricity link between north and south Wales. The Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design (HND) sets out a single, integrated design that supports the large-scale delivery of electricity generated from offshore wind.

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Scotland is currently a wind super-power in the UK and the flow of energy after generation is generally from north to south. The HND has recommended a coordinated network on the west coast of the UK - including an undersea link to Bangor - resulting in a significant power import to North Wales.

There is then a requirement to export this power to areas of the country with greater demand. This could have consequences for rural Wales with the potential of a new network between North Wales and South Wales.

An indicative map from the National Grid Electricity System Operator(ESO) shows the proposal for the new line between Bangor and Swansea - although how that power is carried, and any precise route, remains up for debate.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) said we are "seeing the slow industrialisation of our countryside". It claimed the North-South link was proposed to be an undersea line but that Welsh Government wants an onshore transmission cable to connect onshore wind developments in rural Wales.

Welsh Government said that the National Grid Transmission Owner had been asked by the National Grid’s Energy System Operator to develop a range of options for possible routes for this connection. They said they had not yet seen those options to comment on.

Matt Copeland, head of policy at the National Energy Action campaign to eradicate fuel poverty, said: "It's only right that those affected by pylons are compensated. But this is not a substitute for the UK Government supporting vulnerable people with their sky-high energy bills.

"Millions of households will be cold at home this winter if no further support is announced in the autumn statement this week."

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: "This scheme would create a postcode lottery system leaving millions of families still facing higher energy bills while others benefit."

A Treasury source with knowledge of the plans argued that expanding the power grid would "unlock global investment for Britain and bring improvements for people across the country, with energy security that will keep energy costs down".

"And by speeding up the planning system - including the rollout of EV chargepoints - we will be tackling one of the most common issues raised by businesses who are keen to invest in the UK," they added.

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