Pic: Soha Ibrahim
Lewisham Council was faced with angry residents, community activists and a fuel poverty action group, who came together on Friday evening to protest against high energy bills.
People gathered in front of Lewisham Town Hall in Catford for a briefing on the issue, before entering the reception, not just to warm up but to stay in. They then held a forum to discuss the wider issues around high bills.
Ewa Jasiewicz, 33, an activist and campaign organiser told the Council’s security guard: “We are locals and this is a taxpayer-heated building so we will be ‘warming up’ here.”
She added: “One in four UK homes are in fuel poverty; many have to choose between heating and eating this winter, while an estimated 2,700 people will die unable to heat their homes this year.”
The activists say the ‘big six’ energy companies – British Gas, EDF, npower, Southern Electric, E.ON and Scottish Power – have a 99 per cent monopoly on UK energy and are making record profits.
Pic: Soha Ibrahim
Three police cars later arrived at the Town Hall, and an officer told the group they would have to leave before the council closed for the evening.
Activist James Holland, 39, spoke to EastLondonLines just before being arrested for trying to break into a closed office. He said: “It is a disaster that people are dying of cold while the big six and housing providers are making profits over the right to a warm and safe home.” Holland was released a short time later.
Dave Croft, 32, said: “We are all here to demand democratically controlled and accountable energy, decent, fuel-efficient housing, and an end to deaths caused by fuel poverty.”
Local resident Julie E, 73, said she believes energy monopolies are an example of “the worst kind of capitalism”, which widens the gap between the poor and the rich.
“I feel terribly sorry for young people. I was not surprised by the riots and it is going to happen again,” she said.
Eventually the group decided to cooperate with the police and took their protest back outside the Town Hall, where they symbolically burnt bills to stay warm.
Video by Tabby Kinder
How do six firms have a monopoly? An oligopoly maybe? If these protesters were educated in Lewisham and don’t understand the mono bit of monopoly then schools seem to be the problem.
Went past this yesterday and there were just a handful of people there.
Whilst I agree in principle with what they were protesting and I support their right to protest, I can’t help but think that six companies having 99% control of the energy market isn’t really a bad thing, is it? I agree with Whealie, somebody didn’t pay much attention at school if they think that’s a monopoly!
Elderly and low-income families do need extra support with energy bills as prices are too high, but I think the message of the protest was not here, instead it just felt like another attack by a tiny group of people on companies for making a profit.
Well, you’re technically correct with your usage of economic terms. What’s the distinction between an oligopoly and a monopoly though in terms of people buying their heating? People still have to buy overpriced (often unaffordable) energy and heating in what is essentially a monopolous economic context. There are ways to escape this monopoly (energy co-operatives, buying solar panels, etc) but usually quite difficult for people as individuals who are struggling to afford heating…
What point are you trying to make?