Campaigners have taken to the streets of Brighton in protest at planned energy price hikes.
Today (Tuesday 1 October) saw members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, alongside other community organisations, rally at Brighton Clock Tower at 12pm.
This week’s Ofgem price cap increase will see energy prices rise by an average of 10 per cent plunging millions into fuel poverty and hardship. For pensioners and other vulnerable groups increases in energy costs will be nearer 15 per cent.
The governments cut to the Winter Fuel Allowance has made the situation even more desperate for many.
The demonstrations form part of the Unite4Energy for All campaign which launched last year to urge government to end fuel poverty through the introduction of a free allowance of energy to every household to meet basic needs.
The 1 October protests also called for the public ownership of energy distribution networks, domestic power suppliers and the North Sea’s reserves of oil and gas, to bring an end to flagrant profiteering.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“Callous utility corporations are blighting the lives of millions.
"Every household must be guaranteed enough energy to cover essential needs. No one should be forced to choose between heating or eating.
“Last year alone, private firms reported profits of £45 billion from our country’s domestic energy system.
"If that money had been kept in the hands of the hardworking public, it could have been used to save each household almost £2,000 on their energy bills.”
Unite’s in-depth report into the UK’s energy system Unite Investigates “Renationalising Energy - costs and savings revealed that private energy companies had made a profit of £45 billion and if returned to consumers would reduce bills by £1,800.
Twenty energy companies have made a staggering £457 billion in profits since the start of the energy crisis with £61 billion being posted in profits this year alone.
Ofgem is not protecting consumers from rampant profiteering. As part of the October price hike the regulator has indicated that suppliers will be able to make an additional 11 per cent in profits on every standard variable tariff which works out as £1.2 billion in additional profit
Bills are 65 per cent higher than in 2020 and over 6.5 million people live in fuel poverty.
Unite Community activist, Judy White said:
“The tragedy in this country, the fifth richest in the world, is that people are having to choose between eating and heating.
“The cut to the Winter Fuel Allowance is appalling and the consequences will be catastrophic.
"We believe that with decisive government action all deaths from cold homes, and fuel poverty can be avoided.”
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