Supermarkets accused of exploiting customers after doubling delivery charges for Christmas

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Ocado - which delivers Waitrose goods – has increased its charge to £9 for December 23 deliveries, more than double its usual weekend charge of £3 or £4. Its minimum order size has rocketed from £40 to £90.

Meanwhile Tesco is charging £5.99 for all deliveries during the week before Christmas - its most popular charge is usually £4.50.

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Ocado delivers groceries on behalf of Waitrose and is fully booked for Chrismas Eve despite doubling delivery charges

Up to half a million households are expected to complete all or some of their food shopping via the internet this year.

Ocado revealed that it was already fully booked during Christmas Eve and Asda said it only had a few slots left.

Johnny Stern - who runs an online supermarket comparison site – told The Daily Telegraph that he was outraged by the news, particularly as many household's weekly shop rises by almost £60 during the Christmas period.

"For a loyal shopper spending more over Christmas, they might think the season of goodwill applied.

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Tesco have also increased its delivery charge during the Christmas period

"But that doesn't seem the case with supermarket delivery charges." He said.

A spokesman for Ocado have denied that they are exploiting customers: "No, I don't think it's cheeky, and I certainly don't think it's profiteering.

"We are charging our customers a little bit more, but we can't afford to let people down at Christmas.

"And that means that we have to take on extra staff, extra vans, and even emergency turkeys as a back up.

If you layer that with fuel inflation, I think you'll understand why it's necessary to increase our charges." Said Jason Gissing, co-founder.

Supermarkets Asda and Sainsbury have not increased their delivery charges.