Thousands marched in London and other UK cities on Saturday over the high cost of living, while some burned their electricity and utility bills in protest.
People carried signs that read: “Can’t afford to live,” “Freeze profit, not people,” and “Eat the Tories.”
Grassroots campaign Don’t Pay UK, which co-organized the protests, said it wants to pressure the government into reducing energy bills to “an affordable level” by convincing a million people to not pay them.
“Millions of us simply won’t be able to keep our heads above water and many will freeze when the weather turns cold,” a spokesman for the campaign said.
The protest took place as the new energy price cap took effect on Saturday, allowing the increase of the bill per average household from £1,971 ($2,201) annually to a record £2,500 ($2,792) in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The authorities say that without doing this, bills could reach £3,500 from October and rise as high as £6,500 next year.
“Livelihoods and businesses were at stake. The government’s energy support limits the price they pay for gas and electricity, shields them from massive bill increases, and is expected to curb inflation too,” Prime Minister Liz Truss said.