Local energy cost campaigners occupied St John's Shopping Centre demanding government action to tackle rising fuel poverty.
The local campaigners entered and occupied the shopping centre at around 12.30pm on Saturday, December 3. The group of protesters carried placards and banners during the protest against energy price rises.
A spokesperson for the group said: "We have received overwhelming support from local shoppers and visitors who are all facing the same challenges - trying to keep warm this winter and feed their families." The local protest is one of a number taking place around the UK in cities including Glasgow, Bristol and London.
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The protests are in support of Fuel Poverty Action's Energy for All and the Don't Pay UK campaign. National Energy estimated around 2.2m people have fallen into fuel poverty because of rising energy costs, raising the total number to around 6.7m. The End Fuel Poverty Coalition predicts this will rise to 8.6m when bills climb once again in April 2023.
Teacher Lauren O’Hara, 30, said: "I have seen my bill treble in just 12 months as a result of the extortionate price rises and it’s impossible to see how I can afford to pay the latest bills. With winter coming we are going to end up in a cold house or struggling to pay for food if we need to use the heating. How can energy companies justify their profits trebling while we freeze?"
The Energy for All campaign has called for a free amount of energy to cover people's necessities like heating, lighting and cooking. The group said this would be funded by ending all public money towards fossil fuel subsidies, windfall taxes on energy company profits, and implementing higher tariffs on excessive energy use.
Stuart Bretherton, Energy for All Campaign Coordinator, said: "Energy For All would achieve what our energy system and economy should ultimately be geared towards, ensuring everyone’s basic needs are met. Ordinary people cannot keep footing the bill for crises created by the wealthy, it's time for the big polluters and profiteers to pay their share. Through this we could also incentivise much needed climate action on home insulation and a transition to renewables."
A Merseyside Police spokesperson told the ECHO : "I can confirm that officers were called out to the demonstration. The protest was peaceful and those involved left the area at around 1.45pm."
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