Colin Joseph from Haringey Don’t Pay UK on why he wants local people to stand up to energy companies

Haringey Don't Pay UK volunteers campaigning in Tottenham — Haringey Don’t Pay UK volunteers campaigning in Tottenham

I was shocked and deeply dismayed to find out last year that energy companies were making record profits but still planning to increase energy bills despite the cost-of-living crisis.

The idea of very profitable companies making even bigger profits by financially squeezing already struggling customers really got me fuming and that is why I decided to join the Haringey Don’t Pay UK campaign.

Haringey Don’t Pay UK is one of hundreds of Don’t Pay UK campaign groups across the country calling on energy customers in their local area to strike and cancel direct debits or withhold payments to energy companies until they significantly reduce the amount of money they charge for gas and electricity.

We have only been up-and running since August last year and everyone involved in the Haringey Don’t Pay UK campaign is a volunteer. We are always looking for new members to help raise awareness of the campaign or to help with handing out leaflets or flyers in the borough, so if you have some free time, or just feel strongly about this issue, please get in touch.

The Don’t Pay UK campaign has three key demands. These are an immediate reversal of the price hikes; an end to the enforcement of prepayment meters (usually used by the poorest customers); and an emergency social energy tariff so that no-one goes cold this winter. Emergency price banding for energy would work similarly to the tax system, whereby the richer you are the more you pay, with poorer people therefore paying less per unit for their energy.

Already over 250,000 people UK-wide have pledged to strike by not paying their energy bills but the more people that join the campaign, the stronger and more influential we will become. As I write this (just before Christmas) we are already in the middle of a cold snap that is forcing residents to turn up their central heating to keep their homes warm. But what if they can’t afford to pay the higher bills that will result?

There are now more than 25 ‘warm banks’ in Haringey run by local businesses and community organisations, where residents who cannot afford their energy bills can go to stay warm. Meanwhile, utility companies are making record profits by raising energy bills and are not passing on any of these benefits to their customers.

Get involved with Haringey Don’t Pay UK and find out more about the national campaign:
Email [email protected]
Visit dontpay.uk

To find you nearest warm bank:
Visit haringey.gov.uk/community/haringey-warm-welcome

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