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.

Agree with Damnautocorrect.

I think sometimes people want to attack shareholders and big business forgetting that people's pensions and insurance policies are tied up them, and anything that damages big business damages individuals as well. It's the tax that needs to go IMO.

I'm not sure that's right because the profits are so overwhelmingly huge. Go back to ten years ago when they were smaller, did we have stories of shareholders going hungry because their dividends hadn't paid out?

No we didn't. Because the shares are generally making people who already comfortable more comfortable at the expense of the poor.

I think it needs a combination of pressure on the companies to rein in prices and the government to relieve tax.

I don't think a boycott at a particular time would help either. If something like that was done and it hit their profits they'd just hike the prices to make up the shortfall.

ask for some of his 2million bonus to help us heat our homes

Eight pence per household per year. Don't spend it all at once.

Yes, it's symbolic of the arrogance of large companies. Yes, it's insensitive. Yes, it's hard to see what the CEO of a company with a license to print money has to do in order to print money. Yes, it's hard to see if he'd do any worse a job for half the bonus. Yes, I'd nationalise it tomorrow in a return of both Clause IV and the 1983 Labour manifesto. But a bit of a sense of proportion helps.

Because the shares are generally making people who already comfortable more comfortable at the expense of the poor.

Or, alternatively, paying the pensions of everyone who has any sort of occupational pensions. The vast majority of shares, particularly in safe options like utilities, banks (ho, ho, not so safe as it turned out) and the like are held by large institutional investors, mostly pension funds. Do you really think that "already comfortable" includes, say, retired school cleaners?

did we have stories of shareholders going hungry because their dividends hadn't paid out?

No, but we had a lot of people whose retirement funds didn't pay out leaving them with nothing and having to rely on a small state pension despite paying into a private one for their whole working lives, and we had lots of people being let down on their endowment policies that they needed to just to pay for their home.

friday i was being a bit sarcastic with my bonus comment still sticks in my craw though that they feel that they need that bonus though

my husband has work shares in national grid he for £40 last year I did manage not to spend it all at once

oh and his pension projection was laughable really

(Lighthearted) How about if we all routinely submitted meter readings that were lower than what they should be (but still higher than the previous reading)? I know it wouldn't change the amount one pays, and yes, technically illegal ... but if enough people did it, the companies would notice, because their meter reading contractors staff would be ten times busier.

I got sent a joke a while ago by email. It was a mockup of an article about how shocked and appalled a chap was about something and had a headline which read "Man changes world by posting on Facebook". That is all most people will run to as protest nowadays

Or how about just having half a year where we all refused to submit meter readings at all? Let their staff get the readings!

Energy prices are going up because we;ve had cheap energy in the last 30 years or so as we were able to extract gas from the North Sea cheaply. However most of the gas which is easy (and so cheap) to extract has been used and so now the costs are always going to rise. There is an issue around competition (or the lack of) in theenergy market however the biggest hope for energy is fracking which could potentially be a gamechanger in the whole situation.

What is needed first are hard core facts that profits are growing. That would show its not green taxes nor pension issues. If someone can find that info then I'm interested in protesting.

I know of two protest groups around Fuel Poverty.
Look up Fuel Poverty Action on Facebook, and also End Fuel Poverty, if anyone is interested. Not sure if this will get deleted, mentioning web pages or sites in other threads has gotten my posts deleted..

Why should energy be cheap?
Our current use of fossil fuels is fucking the future for our grandchildren.
Its entirely reasonable that we start paying for it now.

I agree with you talkinpeace if its not expensive because big companies are paying their shareholders.

but the shareholders are the UK taxpayers and pensioners
FFS
(speaking as an accountant) Corporation tax is an irrelevance - its the smallest part of any governments tax take

the big issue is that we have chucked thousands of years worth of reserves into the air in a matter of months
that costs

tell your kids to forgive you when the only fuel they can get due to our profligacy is extortionately expensive

It's a slightly funny argument because you are saying that the higher the cost the better it is because the shareholders who live in the UK profit more. Sadly those who live in fuel poverty are probably not also share holders.

I'm happy to pay for higher prices for fuel if a)there is a mechanism to ensure that everyone can afford basic heating. (No idea how you achieve that) and b) the increase in cost is directly invested in alternate energy sources.

We have cut our fuel use drastically over the past few years (dh keeps a spreadsheet!) but we can't see how to cut it further. We are insulated as far as we can feasibly take it. We can't afford pv panels or solar hot water heating. We cycle and walk wherever feasible, buy local veg and meat, grow my own veg. But unless our energy starts to come from other sources rather than being mainly petrochemical based we are still eating into those reserves.

But unless our energy starts to come from other sources rather than being mainly petrochemical based we are still eating into those reserves.

Do you fancy betting on current levels of reserves? Past history implies such bets aren't sound.

Correct Link

Um, don't you think you should be protesting about the BoE and successive governments devaluing sterling via QE therefore impacting te cost of imports rather than waving a banner at GA?

Alternatively, put a jumper on.

There is a protest!!!!!!!! Seriously people need to get out there and voice their opinions!!!!
www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/call-out-bring-down-the-big6

This company doesn't follow the others with price rises - and has very good customer service. Worth a look...
www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-your-home