Union to hold day of action in Eastbourne over energy bill hikes

Unite Community members will meet in Terminus Road on Tuesday, April 1, between 11.30am and 1pm, as part of a nationwide day of action.

The day of action coincides with the date the latest energy price cap rise comes into effect, which will see a rise of 6.4 per cent from £1,738 to £1,849 for an average dual-fuel household.

The day of action is part of the Unite Energy 4 All campaign, which has been running since 2023 and calls for ‘the eradication of fuel poverty, and the national control of our energy resources’.

Protest events are being held across the UK in around 40 locations with Unite members joining with other fuel poverty and pensioner groups to draw attention to ‘the fact that in the sixth richest economy, eight million people struggle to pay their energy bills and on average 7000 people die each year because they are unable to keep warm in their own homes’.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It's time to end the chaos in our energy network, which allows profiteers to flourish while workers and communities are left in the cold.

"No one should ever have to choose between heating and eating. We believe it is time for public ownership and for fuel poverty to be consigned to the dustbin of history.”

Unite believe energy regulator Ofgem has totally failed to regulate our nation's energy market. The latest 6.4 per cent rise adds £111 to the energy price cap, a cap that climbs ever higher while Unite members struggle with ever increasing energy costs.

Simon Coop, Unite’s National Officer for Energy & Utilities said: “Unite is unique as a Trade Union in organising in the workplace and the community, and our Industrial members in the Energy sector are right behind Unite Community’s day of action.

“OFGEM have failed to protect consumers. For too long they have sided with the profiteering energy companies over the most vulnerable in our country and we stand in full support of the campaign against fuel poverty and for public ownership of our energy sector.”