Don't pay: Government says energy bill payers strike campaign 'highly irresponsible'

The government has launched a campaign for customers of energy are going on strike and refusing to pay the rate hike is "very irresponsible".

A campaign group called Don't Pay says 70,000 people have so far pledged to cancel their gas and electricity direct debits in protest at escalating costs.

The government's energy price cap, set by regulator Ofgem, is currently set at £1,971 per year for a typical household, but is expected to rise to over £3,000 from October 1.

There are also warnings that prices could rise further in April 2023, reaching around £3,700 on current trajectories.

Don't Pay, which was started by a group of people concerned about rising bills, said the number of people accepting its promise doubled every week.

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"Our politicians and oil and gas companies have designed an energy system that just funnels electricity money and profits upward, regardless of the human cost," said a Don't Pay spokesperson.

"Many of us are already struggling to pay our bills as we see energy companies making record profits. This cannot be fair, and we will not accept it.

"If the government and the energy companies refuse to act, ordinary workers will. Together, we will collectively apply a fair price and the government and the oil and gas giants will have to settle the problem between themselves.

Some 8.5 million households are expected to fall into fuel poverty by the end of 2022, according to campaign group End Fuel Poverty.

Rising fuel prices fuel is largely caused by a surge in global demand...