Today is Liz Truss’ first day on the job. Pressure for action on the energy crisis is mounting and rumours are circulating that the immediate freeze that we need on prices may be granted. Fuel Poverty Action has today sent the new PM an open letter calling for Energy For All.

A freeze does not go far enough. People already can’t meet their inflated bills, the freeze may only be in place until around January and the cost of keeping our bills down could be loaded onto the taxpayer for years to come instead of onto those making obscene profits. Meanwhile, threats loom of hard-fought climate policy being rowed back with Truss seeming determined to lift the ban on fracking, scrapping of green levies and climate denialist Jacob Rees-Mogg tipped to be our next Business and Energy Secretary.

Our leaders want us to feel powerless. They tell us little can be done other than limited ‘hand outs’ for which the cost will be borne by people and planet, not the big polluters and profiteers. The solution is Energy For All.

The concept of Energy For All is one that Fuel Poverty Action has been developing for several years now and we have never experienced a more dire need for its implementation with 1 in 3 households already struggling to pay their energy bills, regardless of what happens on October 1st. We’re not surprised that the demand has proved popular among the public, with over 557,000 signatures so far and recent polling suggesting that 75% of people support the policy. Similar ideas are proposed by both the TUC and the NEF.

On 19th September, we will take our petition to hand in at Downing Street at 1pm. 

We will gather at 11.30am at the George V Statue, Old Palace Yard, Westminster. We invite all members of the public, particularly signatories of our petition to join us there, where you will be invited to listen or speak if you wish about the issues you have been facing and why we need Energy For All. This will be followed by a short procession to Downing St for the petition delivery.

Feel free to bring a homemade sign or something even more creative, make up some songs or chants to share with us and bring snacks and weather-proof clothing!

If you can’t make it on the day we could still use your help! Share the petition with your family and friends to give it another boost in numbers before the hand in. Email your  MP urging them to send a message of support to us at fuelpovertyaction@gmail.com, and ask them to join the event on the day. 

On September 19th take part from home by uploading an #EnergyForAll photo to social media. Make an #EnergyForAll sign and post it online using the hashtag #EnergyForAll. Tweet photos to Liz Truss @trussliz, the new Energy Secretary and FPA @FuelPovAction.

Finally, you can order your own Energy For All t-shirt and other FPA merchandise here to support our activities!

Stay tuned and involved for more action to come following our petition hand in!