Cost of living protest taking place within Moray as energy regulator Ofgem announces gas and electricity price cap will rise to £3549 per year
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Residents of Moray are being invited to a public demonstration to demand greater government action on energy prices.
The protest planned for Saturday, October 1, comes as industry regulator Ofgem announced earlier today that the energy price cap will rise to £3549 per year for an average gas and electricity bill.
The organisers of the protest point out that many Moray residents will end up paying more than that due to Moray's weather being colder than the UK average.
In addition, rural households are often on home heating oil which is not covered by the price cap.
Event organiser David Blair, a tree surgeon who lives in Elgin, said: "Moray folk don’t normally do public demonstrations – we’re quite reserved in that sense.
"We're also used to being ignored, so people think ‘What’s the point?’
"But although Moray might be a small community and distant from the centres of power, we hope that if places like ours start taking to the streets, then our governments will realise something big is happening in this country.
"We also want to make demands that are specific to our community and have been missed in the national debate."
David continued: "Moray tradespeople often have to travel long distances to reach the same number of customers as their counterparts in more urban areas, which is really costly with fuel prices being so high.
"We have an unusually high number of small, locally owned businesses, and they need support with fuel and energy bills.
"Likewise homes on heating oil need the same level of support as those connected to the grid."
The protest will be aimed at both UK and Scottish governments, with both being called to give greater support using their respective reserved and devolved powers.
David said: "The UK government has an enormous level of responsibility, with its control over spending and borrowing, UK-wide taxation, and its ability to set the energy price cap along with other areas of energy policy.
"The Scottish government also has powers around devolved spending, council tax and business rates, rent control, public transport, food policy and renewable power, all of which could be put to better and more urgent use."
The demonstration is planned for 11am-1pm on the Plainstones of Elgin High Street and will coincide with the planned price-cap rise.
Announcing the new price cap, Jonathan Brearley, the CEO of Ofgem, said: "We know the massive impact this price cap increase will have on households across Britain and the difficult decisions consumers will now have to make.
"I talk to customers regularly and I know that today’s news will be very worrying for many.
"The price of energy has reached record levels driven by an aggressive economic act by the Russian state.
"They have slowly and deliberately turned off the gas supplies to Europe causing harm to our households, businesses and wider economy. Ofgem has no choice but to reflect these cost increases in the price cap.
"The Government support package is delivering help right now, but it’s clear the new Prime Minister will need to act further to tackle the impact of the price rises that are coming in October and next year.
"We are working with ministers, consumer groups and industry on a set of options for the incoming Prime Minister that will require urgent action.
"The response will need to match the scale of the crisis we have before us. With the right support in place and with regulator, government, industry and consumers working together, we can find a way through this."
Meanwhile, Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: "I know the energy price cap announcement this morning will cause stress and anxiety for many people, but help is coming with £400 off energy bills for all, the second instalment of a £650 payment for vulnerable households, and £300 for all pensioners.
"While Putin is driving up energy prices in revenge for our support of Ukraine’s brave struggle for freedom, I am working flat out to develop options for further support.
"This will mean the incoming Prime Minister can hit the ground running and deliver support to those who need it most, as soon as possible."
Find out more about the October 1 protest HERE
