Five people share their views on the Don’t Pay UK campaign, which launched in June, and why they will or won’t join the protest.
“I just don’t have the money”
Kayleigh, mother of four from Milton Keynes, plans to cancel direct debit from October. Photo: Guardian Community/Brochure Kayleigh, a hotel housekeeper from Milton Keynes, has signed up to the campaign in the hope that consumer action will force energy providers to cut people’s bills. “I am a working single mother of four. In January, I was forced to go on a variable tariff as I couldn’t afford the new flat rate offered by Ovo. In April, my monthly bill rose from £100 to £167. This is already £802 a year and will rise again in October. I just won’t be able to pay it. “So far, I’ve only managed to stay out of charge because my energy bill has been in credit, but the winter will obviously eat away at that. I will cancel my direct debit. I’d rather be in the scary position of not paying my bill than not being able to buy food and other necessities this winter.” Kayleigh will put as much money aside as she can while her debit is put on hold so she has money saved up to pay when she “absolutely has to”. “But I know my consumer rights. It would take a long time for a bailiff to come and I think if enough people do it it will cost the energy companies too much. I hope that such an action will lead to lower bills for citizens. Friends said they would do the same.”
“The fact that I can pay these amounts does not make it right to charge so much”
Steven Johnson fears soaring energy bills could put small companies out of business. Photo: Steven Johnson/Guardian Community Steven Johnson, a builder from the North West of England with his own business, is also registered with Don’t Pay UK. The 64-year-old says nothing will stop him, although he plans to settle any outstanding energy charges “shortly before he gets to court”. “My main concern is, apart from people not being able to put the heating on, small businesses could go bust due to skyrocketing energy prices. It’s a very real risk. “People are doing this to try to tell the government that they need help. I can afford the price rises but I can also afford to pay £10 for a pint of beer but I’m not going to pay that because it’s wrong to charge that much for a beer. I have registered from the beginning. “I do, 100%.”
“I will only stop paying if enough people do the same”
Simon, 55, a mature student from Scotland, has pledged his support to the campaign but is undecided whether to follow through amid concerns it may not gain enough traction. “It will only work if it’s a mass uprising,” he says. “If only a few people do it, they’ll get hit by the companies.” Like others, he’s potentially planning to cancel his direct debit, but he wants to pay eventually and isn’t willing to hurt his credit score. Behind all this, he says, is his belief that utilities should be nationalized. “I accept that any government would be in an extremely difficult position, with no easy solutions. But at the moment I have a £750 credit with my energy provider which benefits their cash flow and funds their business, while it’s a huge burden on me to keep up those payments. “The government needs to make sure the most vulnerable people are looked after, that’s their job.”
“I cannot support a campaign that encourages vulnerable people to be charged”
Caitlin Robinson, an expert on fuel poverty, worries about the potentially very serious consequences. Photo: Caitlin Robinson/Guardian Community Caitlin Robinson, an academic fellow at the University of Bristol specializing in fuel poverty, sympathizes with people who want to stop their monthly payments because they can’t afford them, but is concerned about the campaign. “While I believe in the power of collective action that Don’t Pay UK supports, I cannot support a campaign that encourages people to go into debt with their energy supplier,” he says. “As charities have warned this week, the consequences of debt can be severe. Suppliers can use debt collection services to secure a warrant to enter a person’s home and install a prepayment meter that will be charged with the outstanding debt.’ Robinson admits that some people planning to join Don’t Pay UK have told her they understand the consequences of what they are doing. “Maybe that’s fair enough. But what about those households who are already struggling to pay their bills, at risk of energy debt or already in debt? The campaign makes it sound as easy as boycotting an energy bill, but I worry it will make matters worse. “We should divert our collective efforts to putting even more pressure on the government to provide support for those who cannot pay and the long-term investment in energy efficiency and low-carbon alternatives that we so desperately need.”
“I will not pay anything until a fairer solution is found”
Amy, 36, says she won’t be intimidated by warnings about personal debt and credit scores. Photo: Guardian Community/Brochure Amy, 36, from Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, is unemployed and has made up her mind: she will stop paying her energy bills and is fully prepared to face any possible consequences. “We need to stop being dictated to by the fossil fuel companies. I will cancel all payments until the issues are resolved fairly and realistically. For society,” he says. He believes warnings about damaged credit scores and debt collections are “fear-mongering”, adding: “The politics of credit reporting is also oppressive. So I refuse to be afraid of all that. And I live in hope that there will be far more just leniencies regarding this horrible situation.” Many who join, he says, will find themselves in a situation where they will have no choice. “We’re just trying to survive this crisis.”
