Protestors Demand Ban on 'Harmful' Prepayment Meters
On December 1 Fuel Poverty Action, alongside activists from Extinction Rebellion and Unite the Union members, held a peaceful demonstration outside the Scottish Power building, to call for a ban on the forced instalment of ‘harmful’ prepayment meters.
Climate activists and fuel poverty demonstrators gathered outside of the Scottish Power building.
Words & photos by Devon McCole
“We stand outside what is one of the most parasitic companies in Scotland. They preach to you about how they’re providing you with a service and how we should be grateful as they’re the ones providing us with energy. Energy is a human right. Scottish Power are not providing us with anything, they’re gatekeeping it.”
Those were the opening words of Fuel Poverty Action’s (FPA) local organiser, Eryn Browning, during their speech at yesterday’s demonstration. The demo was part of FPA’s Energy For All campaign, which was launched at the height of the cost of living crisis and dubbed ‘the cost of greed crisis’ by campaigners.
FPA’s lead organiser, Lucia Harrington, said: “It’s not a choice between meeting people’s needs and saving the planet, we can do both by reversing a system that puts profit first and punishes people for being in poverty. We need actions across the country this winter to drag this government into fulfilling its duties to prevent deaths from cold and damp this winter. Energy is a human right.”
The protest yesterday wasn’t a stand alone, with groups staging protests like it across the country as part of a nation-wide mobilisation happening over the weekend with various groups. aiming to put pressure on local companies to deliver effective change for those who are the most vulnerable and to do so with immediate effect.
And their message is clear; make energy affordable and protect people’s welfare over already eye wateringly large profit margins. Afterall, Scottish Power's parent company, Iberdrola, just reported €3.4 billion in profit in the first half of 2023. Meanwhile, just last year 4706 people died across the UK due to cold homes.
And whilst Scottish Power rack up billions in profit, and are likely to make even more off the back of people’s increased energy usage this winter, groups like FPA, Extinction Rebellion and Unite the Union are calling on Scottish Power to put an end to prepayment meters and stop disconnecting people who cannot afford to pay their bills, which in comparison to their profit margins, is a mere pittance, according to Eryn Browning.
Prepayment meters are supposed to help people struggling to pay their bills by allowing them to top up their meter as they go. Not topping up the meter because you don’t have enough money leads to people being disconnected from their supply and people end up left in the cold when they can’t afford to pay as they go.
Read more: Earlier this year, we reported on the real impact these can have on peoples lives.
Senior energy advisor at South Seeds, Poppy Ives said: “We disagree with forced installations of prepayment meters. In the past we have seen the negative impact that forced installations have on households who are often left without supply as they don’t know how to top up their meters, don’t have any funds to do so or aren’t given any top up cards.
“Many households are self disconnected with no funds left to top up their meters. We also see an increase in demand for support throughout the colder months when people are using more energy and so their costs are going up. An advantage of direct debit is that these costs are spread evenly throughout the year. Whereas prepayment customers must pay for their energy as they use it.”
Read more: Staying Warm This Winter — Greater Govanhill for Poppy’s tips on staying warm over the winter.
Eryn Browning, ended their speech by addressing the power that companies like Scottish Power hold over people’s lives:
“These kinds of actions illustrate a real problem in the UK. The thought of people having to gather in protest as a means to stay warm is one that we wish existed solely in fiction, but that is the unfortunate reality we live in.
“A reality where private corporations have been allowed to price people out of the basic elements for survival in the modern world and a reality where our government has been too busy playing musical chairs with ministerial positions to notice that people are dying because of it. Change won't come without people out on the streets taking real action, and change is sorely needed.”
To find out more about the campaign, or to get involved, visit the Energy For All website at www.energyforall.org.uk. Or go along to the Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre on December 11 for their local FPA meeting.