Iceland is offering customers ready meals for 1p as supermarkets continue to look for ways to help their shoppers with the rapidly increasing cost of shopping bills.

And with energy prices sky high - the opportunity to microwave rather than use more costly appliances - could keep gas and electric bills lower too, says the retailer.

The vast discount is available only to online customers who must spend £25 with Iceland to be entitled to the promotion.

Using the code READY1P qualifying shoppers can add up to three Iceland ready meals to their basket from a selection that will see them charged just 3p for them in total at the checkout.

Traditional favourites including spaghetti bolognese, toad in the hole, lasagne, chicken hotpot and stew and dumplings are all among the options in the deal, which lasts until Friday (November 4).

Iceland has launched a number of recent campaigns to try, it says, and help people manage their shopping bills through winter, which are now estimated to be more than £50 a month higher than they were at the start of the year.

At the end of the summer Iceland offered older shoppers a £30 voucher to put towards the cost of their shopping. Open to over 60s relying on their state pension or other benefits, the gift of £30 off an Iceland shop was available to claim from mid-September.

This latest promotion, says Iceland, has been prompted by research that suggests up to half of households may avoid using their ovens through the colder months as they struggle to keep the heating on in the face of rising energy bills.

"Our customers told us that they really benefitted from our online 1p deal when we ran it with fresh veg, so we’re really pleased to offer it now on frozen ready meals,” Iceland managing director, Richard Walker explained.

"With research showing that people are giving up hot dinners due to cost-of-living concerns, offering frozen ready meals for 1p means shoppers can add them to their shop and freeze meals until they are needed" he added.

Last month supermarket giant Asda announced that it had plans for a £1 'winter warmer' meal deal for older customers.

The offer, which is running during November in hundreds of its cafes, entitles over 60s to a soup, roll and unlimited tea or coffee for just £1 and is on top of the £1 meal deal it already offers to children in need of a hot or cold meal.