Rising costs of domestic gas and electricity has forced millions of people into fuel poverty, defined as when their energy bills cost a 10th or more of their income. An estimated 24 per cent of UK homes (around 6.3 million households) are believed to be in fuel poverty. At worse, it forces vulnerable people to choose between heating and eating.
On a cold January morning six protesters from the group Fuel Poverty Action calmly walked into the head offices of British Gas and barricaded themselves into two meeting rooms. Robert Evans, 25, was one of the occupying protesters; “We hope that this action and 10 others that took place over the weekend will help to change the energy system and start the move for millions of households suffering fuel poverty towards a fair, green energy system.”
Other activists stood at the gates with a banner and handed flyers to British Gas employees.
The story was picked up widely, image picked up by Sky and the BBC.