It is too expensive for governments to help everyone with their soaring energy bills, the World Bank has warned.
The bank's president said Covid support schemes had not been targeted enough towards the most vulnerable and the debt will take decades to pay off.
David Malpass told the BBC the same policy was being adopted to help people cope with rising energy bills.
"Governments are saying we will take care of everyone, which is just too expensive," he said.
It is pushing global debt to record levels and people at the bottom of the income scale are hardest hit, he said.
It comes as separate research suggests the UK's own energy support scheme is far too expensive in its current form.
The government is limiting average bills for households using a typical amount of energy to £2,500 a year for six months, but will review the support offered from April.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research said the current scheme could cost some £30bn because it was untargeted.
It also said households could save up to £20bn per year if they were incentivised to invest in energy-saving measures like solar panels.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63386350