To wonder why there isn't some kind of national protest organized over energy prices?

[SeaSickSal]

This affects everybody and is potentially going to lead to deaths this winter. Personally I'd be up for a bit of civil disobedience and mini peasants revolt. But a civilised protest would do. Does anybody know of anything planned?

People are so angry about this it seems odd not to have some public expression of that anger to put pressure on the government and energy companies.

Because we now live in an age of apathy and collective action is for many too much like hard work. Not to mention that for many, as long as they're not personally too badly affected, they can't be arsed about others.

Organise it then...

Because everyone rolls over and takes it because it's a big corporation, especially as many seem to think that business = messiah.

Yet if the thought of a benefit claimant getting an extra £1 a week makes heads explode.

Maybe we need a twitter campaign, email campaign or something as people are too lazy or dont know where to begin.

OP you could email your MP as a start instead of waiting for a demonstration. I will!

When you've organised it, I'll join that protest.

Green taxes should be scrapped. It's a nice idea, but the country just can't afford it at the moment.

"The country just cannot afford it"

Bollocks. Green taxes are not having the impact on energy prices as has been implied.

Getting rid of them would have some impact though, even if only a small one. We shouldn't have to pay tax on something so essential. I think there should be a personal energy allowance, like with income tax, so that we aren't taxed for using a reasonable amount if energy to heat our homes and run our fridges and washing machines, but then tax kicks in if we are using electric curtains, home cinemas and heating swimming pools.

People are beginning to protest slowly now that it's something which affects them.. even the most politically apathetic on my Facebook are putting up statuses protesting the energy prices.

It's minor (only FB) but it's a start considering most of them don't even vote normally.

I think folk are starting to make noises about it looking to come away from their gas comapnies looking at cheaper tariffs maybe email the CEO of Brittish Gas ask for some of his 2million bonus to help us heat our homes, OP why dont you start something

Well that was sort of the idea of starting this thread, seeing if there was anything organized and if people were interested in it and if there wasn't then perhaps starting something if enough people were interested.

I think people will be interested

Yes someone somewhere please organise a protest. I'm in.

people dont want to be cold people want to be able to put their heating on or cook a hot meal they don't want some energy saving twit coming on tv telling us to stick a jumper on .

So if I was to start, for example a facebook group re this protest would people join?

Does anybody know what the legalities are? Do you have to inform police you are protesting and how much notice do you have to give them?

you can start a faeebook about anything you are making a public protest which legally I think you are allowed to do

Yes, but I'm talking about actually setting up a physical protest where people walk the streets, the facebook group would only be to promote it.

You are meant to inform the police and give notice,yes,but I don't know how much.

are you well i am talking rubbish obviously I thought you could start a campaign and not inform anybody only if you were going to publicly protest

I'm in.

Though on an individual level you can just ask them to reduce it. We got letters from British Gas with a rise to our direct debit and I couldn't work out how they'd got to the price they had for the gas so I rang them - to cut a long story short, they pretty much asked me how much I wanted to pay! And stupidly I didn't say 'what I'm paying now'. But they did knock £10 a month of each.

Sorry mrsjay I was talking about public protests!

Change.org has any number of petitions started by people who feel the same way - not many signatures though. I know what you mean - why is there not a national outcry about this?

ah ok yes you need to tell the local council and the police not sure about the time limit though

yanbu

im suprised there hasnt been more civil unrest regarding goverment cuts etc,and personally hoping there would be

but then we as a nation just winge and take it

op im backing you

It would need to be aimed at the government not the 'businesses' at the end of the day their job is to make money, like any company. It's the government that need to step in, what can be done at this late stage of privatisation I don't know.

That 5% tax is disgusting for a start

I have often thought this about the UK, the population is so large that national protests could have a big impact but it needs to be country wide and co-ordinated. However where I don't really agree is that this needs to take the form of a petition or march. I don't think these will have a massive impact. To me the thing that would have a huge impact on the power companies would be for a large section of the population to simply stop using energy at a given time for a given period. The energy companies would lose millions then they will sit up and take notice. There is so much apathy in the UK it's frightening.