Energy campaign group Don’t Pay UK has confirmed their planned bills strike will not take place on Friday because only a fifth of the target of one million pledges has been reached.
Around 192,000 people have so far signed up to the mass non-payment campaign, which was launched in June in response to soaring bills. The plan was for everyone to cancel their energy bill direct debits on October 1, when the price cap rises. At the time the group was formed, the cap for an average household was expected to hit £3,500, but this has since been capped at £2,500 for the next two years after the Government intervened.
It is not clear if people who have signed up have been made aware they should not cancel their direct debits on October 1, and much of the campaign literature on the campaign's website still prominently states October 1. A statement says: "We’ve now proven the strength of the Don’t Pay campaign. After 180,000 of us pledged to strike, the Government was forced to reduce the catastrophic energy price hike scheduled for October 1. The threat of all of us saying we won’t pay left the Government with no other option."
Read more: Forget £2,500, here's how much your family will really pay for energy from this weekend
Instead of the strike, the group says a national day of action will take place on Saturday, October 1, with events expected to be held in communities across the country, the nearest one to Newcastle being held at Leeds.
The group has always stated that it would not strike until it reached a million supporters. There are currently 192,042 people pledging to strike (as of 12pm on Thursday, September 29), though there’s no guarantee everyone who has signed up is actually going to take part. Research by Haysto, a UK mortgage broker for people with poor or complex credit situations, found that Don't Pay UK's website saw visitors increase six-fold in August, with website views rising from 235,000 to 1.5 million, with significant pledges from the North East, Merseyside and East Yorkshire.
One man taking part in the Don't Pay UK protest is Matthew Taylor, of High Heaton, Newcastle. Matthew, 39, who lives with his partner and two young children, said: "I'm not interested in complaining about me and my struggles, but speaking up for others in need. I volunteer in local community groups, and decided to get involved with Don't Pay UK after getting to know other people in our community and hearing their stories and struggles.
"I know of a single mum who is having to skip meals after spending all her money on gas and electric and children's uniforms. She's had to rehome her beloved family dog because they can no longer afford to keep her. We have people living on our street surviving on pay slip to pay slip on zero hour contracts, who, if they are sick and can't work, don't get paid.
"I have worked in India and Ghana and these are similar cases of poverty I saw there. If things don't change, more children will go hungry this winter. I've noticed that school meals are smaller portions than they were a year ago and some children go without food in the evenings. I know of others I have worked with who feel exactly the same and are also planning to cancel their direct debits."
"I have campaigned before for awareness of poverty in India and Ghana after working and teaching there, campaigning for education for poor children there and girls' rights. I am seeing similar levels of poverty here now. The Government have the power to force the energy companies to charge less but history has shown that complacency achieves nothing and when enough people stand their ground, speak for what they want and take action, things happen. Too many people in this country are happy to sit around and quietly grumble without taking action."
But charities have warned that not paying energy bills could lead to serious consequences. Newcastle Citizen's Advice advised families to get advice if they are struggling to pay energy bills, but warned that "the Government must be ready to act again due to huge financial pressures that will come into play this winter".
A spokesman said: "At Citizens Advice Newcastle, we have seen over one and a half times more clients by this point in the year for energy compared to 2021 and dealt with almost three times as many energy issues alone. The scale of this crisis is unlike anything we’ve seen, even in the pandemic. Strikingly we’re helping more people with crisis support like food bank referrals and access to grants because they simply can’t pay the bills or put food on the table.
"We know that many families simply don’t have that extra cash to spare for October. The Government’s £400 energy rebate is hugely welcome and will put money back in people’s accounts, but we have to ask if it’s going to match up to the scale of the hikes people are going to see. In particular, we’re worried about people falling into debt and being moved to a prepayment meter, or seeing more people on prepayment meters who simply can’t afford to top up."
And Paul Coss, of Haysto , said: “There are many risks of non-payment campaigns, ultimately if you’re using energy and not attempting payment, the energy provider will put the bill amounts as debt against your account. Legally, there isn’t much support for non-payment campaigners. If you’re using energy, you’re expected to pay your bills. Any unpaid bills will put your account into debt, and your energy provider can get debt collectors to enforce that. You will also be at risk of being cut off by your provider."
A Don't Pay UK spokesman said: "We should be clear: this crisis is far from over. Millions of us simply won’t be able to afford these extortionate prices. When energy bills rise again on 1 October, more than seven million households will be in fuel poverty. We’ll be paying 96% more to heat our homes this winter than the last while energy companies make £170 billion in excess profits. And the Government has chosen to keep making the rich even wealthier instead of supporting working class people.
"There’s massive support for a radically transformed energy market that works for people, not profit. Together we can build the strike to one million – and force the Government to end the profiteering fuelling this crisis. The rapid spread of the Don’t Pay campaign in the last three months highlights the clear and overwhelming support for a radically transformed energy industry that works for people and the planet.
"As the colder weather sets in, prices continue rising and the Government ploughs on with tax cuts for the rich, the calls for mass non-payment will only get louder – and Don’t Pay will head closer to the one million strike threshold."
Now read:
- Thousands more to get £400 energy rebate including tenants who pay all-inclusive bills
- How much it will cost to put your kettle on to boil from October 1
- Rising bills leave shoppers hungry for energy-saving air fryers and slow cookers
- Money changes due to hit your pocket before Christmas
- When will the second £324 cost of living payment be coming?
