Cost-of-living crisis protest kicked off in Easterhouse

Unite the Union rallied at The Platform Cafe on Friday, March 8 demanding energy guarantees and public ownership to reduce the impact of energy bills.

The UK’s leading union warned low incomes with increased outgoings are causing cold homes, which continue to blight the lives of millions across the country.

Unite members joined Fuel Poverty Action, Medact, the National Pensioners Convention and Homes for All UK as part of demonstrations. (Image: Colin Mearns)

Members joined Fuel Poverty Action, Medact, the National Pensioners Convention and Homes for All UK as part of demonstrations.

It comes as part of the Unite 4 Energy for All campaign which launched last year to urge the government to end fuel poverty.

The move is also calling for the public ownership of energy distribution networks, domestic power suppliers and the North Sea’s reserves of oil and gas, to bring an end to flagrant profiteering.

Chia Harrington from Fuel Poverty Action (Image: Sourced)

Speaking ahead of the protests, Unite national officer, Simon Coop, said: “Greedy governments and callous corporations are blighting the lives of millions.

“Every household must be guaranteed enough energy to cover essential needs. No one should be forced to choose between heating or eating.

“Last year alone, private firms reported profits of £45 billion from our country’s domestic energy system.

"If that money had been kept in the hands of the hardworking public, it could have been used to save each household almost £2,000 on their energy bills. It must stop.”

Unite’s in-depth report into the UK’s energy system Unite Investigates “Renationalising Energy - costs and savings revealed that private energy companies had made a profit of £45 billion and if returned to consumers would reduce bills by £1,800.

Over five million people live in homes with energy debt, and more than three million people have been disconnected in the last 12 months because they could not afford to top-up their prepay metre.

Unite Community activist, Judy White, concluded: “The tragedy in this country, the fifth richest in the world, is that people are having to choose between eating and heating.

“We believe that with decisive government action all deaths from cold homes, and fuel poverty can be avoided.”

The UK Government was contacted for comment.