Not since the U.K. poll tax revolt of 1990 helped sweep then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from power have the Brits been in such a rebellious mood. More than 100,000 of them have reportedly pledged online to refuse to pay their natural gas and electricity bills this fall unless the government takes further action to defray the escalating cost of household energy.
It’s easy to understand the growing anger and militancy. Natural gas is used heavily in the United Kingdom — the fuel heats the vast majority of British homes and plays a major role in electricity generation — and so the post-pandemic upsurge in demand, compounded by cuts in Russian supplies, has hit the nation hard.
According to National Energy Action, which campaigns for affordable energy, the average cost of heating and powering a British home has rocketed by over 200% in the past year. Another 80% hike is expected in October and a further 20% in January.