With the cost of living crisis continuing to hit people’s pockets,Martin Lewis has warned that increasing prices have caused people up and down the country to call for a “mass non-payment” of energy bills.
Martin,who recently received a CBE for service to broadcasting and consumer rights, warned that people could soon stop paying their energy bills in protest of rising prices – a move that would be similar to the Poll Tax Riots of 1990.
In fact, during an interview on ITV’s Peston, the financial expert explained how one Twitter account calling for a “consumer strike” is gaining momentum and has amassed thousands of followers.
“I think I can categorise it more accurately now, the big movement that I am seeing is an increase of growth in people calling for a non-payment of energy bills, mass non-payment,” the founder of Money Saving Expert said.
“Effectively a consumer strike on energy bills and getting rid of the legitimacy of paying that. It’s small at the moment. There’s a Twitter handle with about 5,000 followers.”
Martin added that with household bills set to increase even further in October, it’s time for the Government to act before non-payment becomes normalised among households.
“We are getting close to a Poll Tax moment on energy bills coming into October and we need the Government to get a handle on that because once it starts becoming socially acceptable not to pay energy bills people will stop paying energy bills and you’re not going to cut everyone off,” he continued.
Martin,who is known for sharing money saving tips and tricks online, also warned that the cost of living crisis – including increasing rising mortgage interest rates – could result in “millions” of people living in poverty.
“If we just take fuel poverty alone we’re talking 12 million people potentially from October,” he told the ITV show. “Some of that is relative poverty but I genuinely worry about absolute poverty, I can’t give you specific numbers but we’re talking millions not hundreds of thousands.”
Martin’s recent interview comes after he revealed thatthe energy cap is predicted to rise 65% in October, taking typical bills to £3,240 a year.
“The latest prediction for October is up 65% from where we are now, taking a typical bill to £3244. It will then rise again by 4% in January to £3,300 and probably start to drop but only by 5% next April,” he explained.
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