Households could be asked to pay a £6 a year levy to help foot the bill for a controversial new nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast.

Energy giant EDF is set to put forward a new plan to help finance Sizewell C which would see UK energy customers make contributions to help reduce interest costs on the project.

The plans, which would see every energy customer pay around £6 a year, could help reduce the overall price of the project to £16billion, rather than the £20bn set aside for Sizewell C's sister site in Hinkley.

It was originally thought that the cost of the project would be around £15bn.

Before any charge would go ahead, the government would have to put forward legislation to allow EDF to make the move.

The plans have reportedly been discussed before by EDF as an alternative way of funding the new power plant.

The new Sizewell plant would be a close replica of the Hinkley Point C power station that EDF is building in Somerset.

Sizewell C will sit next to the existing stations of Sizewell B and A on the Suffolk coastline - but there are concerns about the impact it will have the environment and the damage the building of the new site could cause to the Suffolk countryside.