A campaign urging residents to cancel direct debits to their energy suppliers in a bid to send a message over the spiralling price of gas and electricity launched in Stirling at the weekend.
The ‘Don’t Pay Stirling’ movement kicked off in King Street on Saturday, lead by Bannockburn ward independent councillor, Alasdair Macpherson.
He is urging residents to halt their payments from October 1 to “put pressure on the Tory Government and the energy suppliers” to lower energy costs for families living on the breadline.
Energy bills are estimated by some to skyrocket to an annual bill of £4,200 by January.
The Don’t Pay campaign has been launched nationally, but Councillor Macpherson has opted to set up a local campaign.
Folk who join the campaign are asked to pledge that they will cancel their direct debits.
Councillor Macpherson said: “This is probably this most important campaign I’ve ever been involved in because if there is no action by the Tory Government, our most vulnerable citizens will die of hypothermia this winter.
“Don’t Pay Stirling will continue to campaign until such times the Tory Government abolish the cap, take into public ownership the big six energy companies and establish social tariffs for our most vulnerable households.”
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Charities and other legal and financial experts have warned that anyone who does cancel direct debit payments risk being cut off from their power supply. Fuel companies can obtain a court warrant to enter their home to fit a prepayment card meter, with a requirement to pay off arrears or be disconnected. And the protesters may be saddled with a debt record and negative credit score.
Oil and gas giant BP announced profits of £6.9 billion from April to June this year – more than triple the amount it made in the same period last year.
Similarly, Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, increased their profits to £1.34 billion – a 500 per cent increase.
Councillor Neil Benny, leader of the Stirling Council Conservative group said: “Councillor Macpherson is telling people who are anxious about energy bills to not pay them.
“This will lead to more debt and more problems for hard-pressed families down the line.
“Energy bills are high and we need local, Scottish and UK government to help people in this.”
Last week, Councillor Macpherson called for public facilities to throw open their doors as ‘warm banks’ this winter to support people freezing at home as energy bills spiral.
