To ask you all to Guy Fawkes it up with me regarding the Energy Price increases?

[Justshabbynochic]

Energy price increases...no one is doing anything about it. It's unjust, immoral, and greedy. These are resources which should be available to us all freely, and yet there are people who will freeze in their homes this Winter.

I've mithered over it, chewed on it, thought about it a lot. Lost sleep over it. What, if anything, can we, THE PEOPLE, do about this?

And then it hit me this morning...

"Remember, remember the 5th of November..."

Why don't we make them remember Bonfire Night for another reason...the day we all stood up against the greedy Energy suppliers, the day we made the government take notice of us, that we will NOT sit here and let vulerable people freeze to death in their homes.

The goverment should be investing in alternative energy resources, not allowing a select few to benefit from the price increases.

Mumsnetters, I need your help.

I'm just a lowly healthcare assistant on maternity leave and Mumsnet is very dear to me. I've been here a long time (Pombears, Yoni, River of Sweetcorn, Save the kittens in the bin, etc.) and I know if I'm going to get anywhere with this, it's going to be with you lot.

Here is what I'm proposing...on the 5th of November, from 6-8 pm, we turn everything off. No electricity, no heat. No TVs, hairdryers, radios, radiators, or refridgerators.

We flip the switch.

It's not about them losing money, it's about enough people all over the country doing something all together to show them we have a voice, our numbers count, and we can make a stand. Make them notice us.

Most of us will be out celebrating Bonfire Night so I'm hoping it wouldn't be too inconvenient for two hours that evening.

It's only gonna work if I can get lots of support, and to this I know I am risking proper humiliation if no one gets behind me.

Is anyone with me? And if you are, could we start brainstorming ways in which to get this out there? Social Networking, word-of-mouth,etc.?

I just don't want to sit back, moan about it, but not do anything about it anymore. I'm hoping some of you feel the same way.

[icetip]

Or we could just turn you off instead Citizen Smith.......

[NomDeOrdinateur]

Good plan. My parrots won't like it, but their grandparents obviously managed perfectly well without electricity .

Can anybody think of a catchy Twitter hashtag?

[hugsandbutterflies]

I'm with you.

[ethelb]

.

[hiddenhome]

C'mon, it's not going to make any difference though is it?

[mrsduff]

I'm with you! As got a letter today from British gas helpfully explaining why they are increasing their prices by 8.6%!

[Justshabbynochic]

...and exhale. Thank you, thank you. After that first reply I thought I'd well and truly twatted myself.

So I'm thinking we make a FB page, and yes please, a catchy twitter thing. I'm not even on Twitter!

[Justshabbynochic]

hiddenhome, we can! We will! If just to say "there's a lot of us who don't agree!"

[hugsandbutterflies]

It probably won't make a difference, but it won't hurt me to try.

[Justshabbynochic]

#bonfirenightswitchoff?

...not catchy...

[Wallison]

Count me in. Although I am slightly disappointed that we're not throwing the fuckers on a bonfire.

[Sallykitten]

I was talking about a protest the other day but not many people seem interested. I was actually talking about a physical march in the street protest though.

The type of protest you are suggesting is a waste of time. On the vague off chance that it did hit energy suppliers profits they would simply put the prices up again to cover them.

There would be little for the press to cover other than sitting in the dark and no way of finding out how widespread it was so little chance of it actually impacting on the energy companies how many people are angry.

If you want to organise a protest, do a street based one. Honestly, this turning the power off idea is pointless.

[Madamecastafiore]

Why should these resources be available to us freely???

[Justshabbynochic]

Thank you Hugsandbutterflies!

Off to sign up for Twitter. As soon as we come up with a catchy name for this, I'll create the FB page.

[Lariflete]

I'll do it - but what about contacting 38 Degrees too? They organise a lot of things like this and lobby the companies directly.
Contact Details

[NomDeOrdinateur]

#FawkesOff

#BonfireBlackout

[LaRegina]

Is it bad to admit I like the idea but I don't want it to interfere with my Bonfire party?

[Justshabbynochic]

Sallykitten it's not to hit their profits, its so that for two hours they notice a lot of people acting on behalf of a cause.

Everyone has a right to be warm at a rate at which we can afford. The Earth and it's resources belong to us all and should be managed appropriately, not something which someone owns and can take away, but that's a whole other argument.

C'mon Naysayers, it's exactly why nothing ever gets done, because people say it would make no difference or it's not enough. At least it's something that a majority of people can do.

[Justshabbynochic]

#bonfireblackout I love it! Everyone agree?

[JerseySpud]

I like #Fawkesoff but mainly because it sounds like 'fucks off'

[Dobbiesmum]

Well personally I would prefer a V for Vendetta style march on London but not wanting to get shot I'll do it.
To steal something off your OP:

#fliptheswitch

[Dobbiesmum]

X post, #bonfireblackout is better

[Justshabbynochic]

Can't we use them all? I see people use multiple # in messages before?

[NomDeOrdinateur]

LaRegina - wouldn't it be fun to do a more traditional, "utilities free" Bonfire party? Y'know - cooking on bonfire/BBQ, using torches and candles instead of electric lights, roping in musical friends rather than using the Ipod dock...

[Dobbiesmum]

And to complete the hat trick posting, with the extra publicity we're getting from the Daily Fail and others we might just get some extra bods on board..