Citizens Advice Bury and Bolton (CABB) has offered some advice as a campaign encouraging people not to pay their energy bills gathers pace.

The ‘Don’t Pay’ campaign is a direct response to the cost-of-living crisis, particularly focused on the rising cost of energy bills while of energy companies are still able to make huge profits.

Nationally, over 100,000 people have added their name to a pledge to cancel their direct debits for gas and electricity on October 1 if the government fails to adequately address the increasing cost of energy bills.

In addition, over 31,000 people have signed up as activists in their local communities, and over 3,000 people have joined 150 Don’t Pay groups across the country.

Richard Wilkinson, CEO of CABB says they are seeing increasing numbers of people ask them about the campaign and what the consequences would be on them and their utilities.

Mr Wilkinson is warning people to be wary, and if in doubt CABB are available to offer individual advice.

The Bolton News: CABB offer free advice on a range of topics. Credit CABBCABB offer free advice on a range of topics. Credit CABB (Image: CABB)

He said: “We’d always encourage people as a first port of call to contact their energy supplier because they have to help you come to a solution. Try to negotiate a deal that works for both of you, whether that’s reducing your payments in line with what you can afford or finding a way to pay off any debts you’ve built up. 

“If you cancel your direct debit, you might be charged a fee. Check your supplier’s website to find out what this might be.

“It’s also likely that if you move from direct debit to a different payment method you will end up paying more, as direct debit is often the cheapest option.”

There are also potential consequences of not paying bills and ending up in energy debt.

“When you build up arrears to your energy supplier they can take action like moving you onto a prepayment meter or, in rare cases, they could disconnect you,” Mr Wilkinson said.

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“There are clear rules around this though. Your supplier can’t make you move to prepayment if it wouldn’t be safe or practical, for instance if an illness or disability means you’d be at risk if your gas or electricity was cut off.”

Going into credit debt might also affect one’s credit rating, which may impact on someone’s ability to lend in the future.

A spokesperson for Don’t Pay said: “In just a few weeks, over 100,000 of us from across the country have come together to say we will refuse to be pushed into fuel poverty and we no longer want to pay for the profits of the energy companies.

“We are building the biggest mass non-payment campaign since the Poll Tax, and we are showing the powers that be that our collective power will force an end to this crisis.

“ For too long we have sat by while power and wealth in this country have been accumulated by too few people at the expense of everyone else.

“The Don’t Pay campaign has reached millions of people, and the support we have received demonstrates the anger and frustration at a broken energy system that needs to be drastically transformed for the interests of people.

“There are many solutions to this crisis that have been staring the government in the face, but due to their obsession with protecting the multi-billion pound fossil fuel companies' right to continue to exploit us, they have failed to deliver in our interests.”

 

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