Mar 082022
#BigPowerOff
1 April 2022.
An initiative by Sheffield DPAC, contact: DPACSheffield@gmail.com
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) Sheffield are asking people around the country to join the Big Power Off on 1 April 2022, the day household gas and electric prices are set to rise steeply.
DPAC Sheffield want people who are not able to stop using or reduce energy usage to take part in other ways such as posting selfies displaying the campaign slogan, or by getting creative eg making #BigPowerOff banners using up-cycled materials where possible and posting pics online; don’t forget to use the hashtag and tag us so that we can find your posts and share them!
We want to stress that we are not asking people to go without energy that they need for their health and wellbeing such as heating and hot food.
Tell Your Story
We’d also like to help you get your voices heard. If you’d like to, send us videos (up to 2 minutes) talking about your experiences. Tell us:
•How are you directly impacted by the rise in energy costs?
•How much are your own bills increasing by?
•Are you in a position to be able to afford to pay the predicted bills that have been sent by your energy provider?
DPAC Sheffield are asking people, who are able to, to stop using some or all of their gas and electrical appliances for the day. Here are some suggestions:
• Turning the heating down or off.
• Using a slow cooker to prepare hot food rather than an oven.
• Skip bath/shower that day.
• Don’t use equipment that emits heat such as hair straighteners, hair dryers.
• Eating cold foods.
• Leaving the lights off.
• Don’t use the kettle all day.
We want to help you have your voice heard; we can caption videos or publish your stories of your personal experience as well as retweeting or reposting your own stories when shared using the campaign hashtag #BigPowerOff.”
All households face another steep rise in energy costs in October 2022; #BigPowerOff on 1 April will be the first of many rolling household protests.
Currently this campaign is supported by Unite Community South Yorkshire, Grassroots U.K. and the Breakthrough party. Call-Outs have been shared by Sarah Woolley and Ian Hodson of BFAWU and Ian Byrne MP.
Will you add your name to the list of supporters? Can you ask your group, Union, political party etc too support the Big Power Off?
Email us on DPACSheffield@gmail.com for more information, for media interviews or to invite a speaker to your meeting.
Watch and RT video explainers of the #BigPowerOff on twitter and Facebook at these links:
Captioned video on twitter:
Captioned video on Facebook:
Captioned video on Facebook:
Captioned video on Instagram:
I am disabled and also a pensioner. The chancellor has not suggested any support or help for either pensioners or disabled people. I am registered as blind, I also suffer with nephropathy after having bowel cancer. I need my heating on most of the day because my hands and feet get very cold. Therefore I need help with my energy bills but don’t know where to turn to.
Hello Karen
Here are some help pages with info if you are struggling with energy bills
Citizens Advice : https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/grants-and-benefits-to-help-you-pay-your-energy-bills/
OfGem : https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-help-if-you-cant-afford-your-energy-bills
Turn2Us : https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Energy-schemes/Help-from-your-energy-company
Also possibly worth seeing if any grant is available to help https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/
Hope this is helpful