Hundreds of Brighton residents join Don't Pay campaign

More than 350 people across Brighton and Hove have joined the Don’t Pay campaign, which calls for people to cancel their direct debits to their energy providers to demand bills be reduced to an affordable level.

The action has been backed by more than 107,000 people across the country, with at least 1,000 in Sussex alone.

A spokeswoman for the campaign, which began in June, said that the idea came after a group of friends decided something needed to be done about the cost-of-living crisis.

She said: “The last few years have just deepened this view of a system that is basically run for the purpose of extracting as much wealth out of people as possible, increasing the wealth of the already-wealthy minority.

“Energy bills and their costs are some of the most important pressures that we are all feeling at this moment.”

Several hundred people have signed up to the Don't Pay campaign in Brighton and Hove: credit - Don't Pay/Mapbox

The group is hoping for a repeat of actions against the poll tax in 1990, which culminated in a series of riots in towns and cities and saw the controversial tax abolished.

The spokeswoman said: “By October, energy bills will have tripled in just 18 months.

“Millions won’t be able to pay and millions more will be thrown into poverty - all while energy companies, like BP and Shell, make billions in profits.

“We think the sheer scale of this crisis means millions of people are ready to come together and stop paying our bills if the government, Ofgem and energy companies don’t make energy affordable for everyone.

“The response we’ve already had in only a few weeks shows how the pressure is building and a mass non-payment campaign is becoming a very viable option for many people who see these price hikes as unjust and unfair.”

Energy regulator Ofgem has urged customers not to join the group in their planned action on October 1, warning that the strike would only result in higher costs for everyone and could lead to personal debt problems.

The Don’t Pay spokeswoman said that, while the action does come with some risk, “the biggest risk is that millions of people across the country are going to be facing destitution if the scandal of sky-rocketing energy bills isn’t addressed”.

She said: “It’s fine if people want to get into a dialogue with their energy companies, but the reality is that as individuals we have next to no power at all in these discussions.

“People are coming together across the country with this campaign to build strength in numbers to make change happen so that our energy system can be based on people's needs, rather than obscene corporate profits.”

A government spokeswoman criticised the campaign for its "highly irresponsible messaging, which ultimately will only push up prices for everyone else and affect personal credit ratings".

She said: "While no Government can control global gas prices, we are providing £37 billion of help for households including the £400 discount on energy bills, and £1,200 of direct support for the most vulnerable households to help with the cost of living."

Brighton and Hove City Council was contacted for comment.