The supermarket has been met with unprecedented demand for groceries and delivery slots over the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shoppers can book slots at different times of the day during the week and pay between £2 and £7, with cheaper slots at the least busy times while the premium fee is reserved for peak demand.

However, from 3 August, Tesco is set to bring in a flat rate of £4.50 for deliveries (£5.50 for orders from its customer fulfilment centres).

It said it wants to move towards simplifying its home delivery charges.

A Tesco spokesperson, said: “Demand for slots remains extremely high at all times of the week, so we are moving to a simpler pricing structure with a flat rate that better reflects the cost of picking, packing and delivering orders.

“This structure is fairer for everyone and means no customers will have to pay the highest slot price – which is currently £7 – as a result of demand.

“Customers who have signed up for our Delivery Saver subscription service will continue to benefit from free deliveries and collections as part of their plan.”

Click and collect slots will be priced at £1.50.

Shoppers have taken to social media to express their disappointment over the move.

One tweeted: “I’m shocked to see you have increased your home delivery charges for priority customers to £4.50 That’s a bit unkind!”.

Another wrote: “Pretty disgusted that you’ve put priority delivery slots up to £4.50 from £2. We’re still shielding so can’t leave the house so rely on this. Certainly won’t be using you again and will change to Asda, Sainsbury’s or Iceland. A shame as your service has been good.”

And one user tweeted: “Do you not think that these £4.50 delivery charges are going to hit the most vulnerable, how are pensioners or people on benefits going to afford an extra £4.50 on top of their shopping?”.