It's the Winter Warm Up weekend of action called by Fuel Poverty Action and hundreds of protesters are highlighting the injustice of the 'Big 6' control over energy resources.
The Big Six - EDF, Centrica (British Gas), Eon, RWE Npower, Scottish Power
and Southern & Scottish Energy - have increased energy bills by as much as
22% this month, while profits have soared to a record five-year high. Meanwhile, Government statistics show that every year, around 2,700 people, mostly pensioners, die from coldness-related diseases like pneumonia.
To kick off the weekend Winter Warm Up, the Manchester Climate Action Group yesterday did a bit of brilliant subverting of advertising billboards across the city in protest against the thousands of people who die each year due to fuel poverty, and the hikes in heating bills… M*TH*R F*CK*RS!
"I just wanted to come out and say it" explains Jane Simpson from Manchester Climate Action group, who participated in the DIY subvertising campaign.
"The energy companies are ripping us off big time and making a fat buck off it" she adds "But it's about much more than prices. It's about big corporations dominating our energy supply. We need democratic community control over how we heat our homes."
At the moment the energy companies are pushing meters on people where those least able to pay for energy pay more, and when the money runs out, so does the light, heat and hot water.
"It's not just people in the UK who are dying because of the energy companies selfish obsession with profits - people around the world are dying from climate change resulting from the government and energy companies refusing to make the change to renewable energy" says James Terry of the Climate Action Group "We need a chance to discuss where we get our energy from and how much it costs, not just have it dictated to us by big energy companies."
While the Big Six energy companies are making a five-year record profit of over 700% per customer, the government is cutting its Winter Fuel Allowance. The Climate Action Group accused the government and energy companies of a "deadly obsession with making money"…
While the whole energy industry is horrific, this DIY subvertising action yesterday can at least put a little smile on our faces…
See the short billboard YouTube video – click here
Warning: there is a bit of naughty language but nowt compared to when you open your gas bill!
More details at the Manchester Climate Action Group blog site – click here
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