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Campaigners urge energy bill action

05:05, Feb 16 2013

 

Demonstrators will urge the Government to do more to help households struggling with soaring energy bills.

Campaign group Fuel Poverty Action is planning to protest outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change, in central London, to call on ministers to act for families facing the impossible choice between eating and heating.

Rising energy costs have left more than six million households in the UK in fuel poverty because they spend more than 10% of their income on heating their homes, the group said.

It comes after the so-called "big six" energy companies - British Gas, EDF, E.On, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE - all increased their tariffs this winter, citing rising costs of wholesale gas.

Elizabeth Ziga, from Fuel Poverty Action, said: "While we freeze in our homes and millions of us choose between heating and eating, the Government is snugly in bed with the big six energy companies.

"Hand in hand, they're plotting to increase our dependence on dirty and expensive gas power, which will mean even higher fuel bills as well as rising food prices due to climate change.

"With yearly price hikes, soaring big six profits and unnecessary and unjust government cuts, the Great Fuel Robbery has gone on too long.

"This weekend, across the country, people are coming together to say enough is enough and to fight for the alternative: clean, cheap renewable energy produced for the benefit of communities, not for the benefit of politicians and their energy executive allies."

Protesters will take part in a "fuel bill assembly" outside the department at 2pm as part of a weekend of planned events called Stop the Great Fuel Robbery.

 
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