On the calendar, the date of next October 1st is circled in red. This is the term that indicates that the time of patience is now up. Rings of Revolt against Expensive Energy. They come from the UK, where inflation is a step away from the 13% peak. It’s pocket-hole Everest and it’s scary. So over 75,000 of His Majesty’s subjects have already said enough. By giving the government an ultimatum: if nothing is done to protect consumers by the end of September, the bill will strike. The bills for electricity and gas are no longer paid.
Funded by Don’t Pay, an anonymous group calling for civil disobedience, the initiative is a bit of a snowball for now. But organizers hope to turn it into an avalanche of at least a million Britons ready to rebel in less than two months. The media hype with shots on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Telegram is already underway. But more than videos and tweets, the movement hopes to benefit the 6.3 million British citizens who could be plunged into poverty next year precisely because of unsustainable household bills. The worst is actually not behind us yet. After raising the energy price cap by 54% in April, Ofgem has already announced new increases. The Bank of England, which has pledged to raise interest rates to fight inflation despite growing signs of a recession, has calculated that by the start of autumn families will be paying an average of £300 a month just to light the fridge and leave you run the washing machine. It’s normal everyday life that risks being disrupted by the brutality of the raises. Also as other estimates shake already depleted portfolios given negative real wage growth: total bills to be paid, starting with methane, could even rise to £4,000 in 2023. Precisely because of the combination of price increases and the emerging boycott movement, the London government is not sleeping peacefully. Maybe for fear of a big tax riot. Like when 17 million taxpayers refused to pay Margaret Thatcher’s Poll Tax in the early 1990s. A prolonged and collective rebellion, marked by street riots between protesters and police (the famous clashes in Trafalgar Square that left over 200 injured) cost Lady Iron and the end of the Conservative government.
Now it remains to be seen how many will join Don’t Pay Uk. For many, the fear of being left in the dark or without gas is after ending up in the defaulter group. For this reason, the initiators of the initiative are aiming for at least one million subscribers in order to have a shock mass that can send supplier companies into a tailspin. Before the plug was pulled, they would be forced to offer an installment plan for debt relief. The courts are the last resort. But with the risk of clogging classrooms and creating a queue of arrears for months.