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Martin Lewis: “Don’t Pay” energy bills campaign is “growing”

Consumer champion Martin Lewis has said a movement to refuse to pay energy bills is “growing”, as he called on the next Prime Minister to spend billions to solve the crisis.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I think the Don’t Pay movement is growing. There are dangers to being in the Don’t Pay movement as an individual.

“All I can say is what would happen in a typical case scenario where an individual refused to pay – what is far more difficult to predict is if there is a massive movement not to pay.

“I think what is safest for me to say is while I think it should have come earlier, my hope is on September 5 there will be a new Prime Minister. We’ve heard from both the candidates, but they seem to indicate they understand the scale of the crisis – what we need to hear is concrete solutions.

“And let’s be absolutely plain: there are many methods that you can put in place to alleviate and mitigate some of the terrible damage that the rising energy prices are causing.”

Could the “Don’t pay” campaign have an impact?

Mr Lewis added: “So I’m going to be agnostic over the solution, but it will involve spending substantial amounts, billions of pounds of Government money, to stop some of the most vulnerable and many middle income earners from having some terrible choices to make this winter. We have to hope that will be in place.

“And I suspect if it isn’t in place, then people coming from the Don’t Pay movement are going to become a louder voice in this country.””

The Don’t Pay campaign has said it will call a “non-payment strike” once a million people have pledged to join their campaign.

It claims to be a grassroots organisation which is seeking to build a network across the UK.

Its website states: “Millions of us won’t be able to afford our energy bills this winter. We can’t let that happen. Don’t Pay exists to bring us all together, build our leverage and fight back.

“We’re building our strength by mobilising for a non-payment strike. This means getting together everyone who wants to challenge this rigged system. It’s for everyone you know who can’t, or won’t pay. We’ll link you up with others in your local area and we’ll build this together – street by street, estate by estate and city by city.

“When one million people pledge to say they’ll stop paying their energy bills, we’ll call the strike. We’ll force the government, market regulator Ofgem, and energy companies to come to the table and negotiate with us collectively.”