A Tory minister has suggested Brits iron old wrapping paper so they can reuse it in a way to cut back on costs this Christmas.

Rebecca Pow told her Twitter followers that the move can also help the environment by cutting down on waste.

In a video, the Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience said that she had ‘always done this’ and joked it ‘drove her children absolutely nuts’.

Posting on the same day ‘risky activities’ were warned against during an ambulance strike, she advised people to avoid risk of fire and have the iron on a low heat.

But some social media users were left unimpressed as her message came at a time when energy bills are soaring and food prices are rising at their fastest rate for decades.

One person retweeted the clip, saying ‘people can’t afford electricity to run the iron’ and another asked ‘is this for real?’

Ms Pow, the MP for Taunton Deane, says in the footage: ‘It’s that time of year again. I save all of my old wrapping paper, I drive my children absolutely nuts.

‘But I’ve always done this, I save it in a box, I’ve got it all out now and I’m ironing it and I’m going to use it to wrap this year’s presents.’

The move is good for the environment too, the Tory MP said (Picture: Twitter/pow_rebecca)

She went on: ‘Obviously you need to be really careful – low low, low heat for the iron because one does not want any risk of fire.

‘But it really does work and saves a lot of money but also saves an awful lot of waste.’

Ms Pow posted a link to a government website page called ’24 ways to waste not this Christmas’.

This page includes tips like investing in a reusable advent calendar, making Christmas wreaths from the garden and using LED Christmas tree lights.

The website also advises people to use public transport when visiting family and friends over Christmas.

But using trains will be tricky, given rail workers are striking over pay and working conditions.

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Some social media users were left unimpressed.