Nick Doyle, Portsmouth Socialist Party
Nearly half a million warrants have been issued to allow energy firms to force the poorest in England and Wales onto prepayment meters since July 2021. While the energy companies are driving millions into poverty forcing the poorest to pay even more, they are swimming in profits.
An average of 13,200 warrants a month have been issued by Portsmouth Magistrates Court for debtors nationwide.
Hundreds of warrants are issued in a matter of minutes. In many cases, those affected have no idea what is happening until an engineer turns up at their house, often with a locksmith to force entry, sometimes with a dog handler.
If on a smart meter, households are just switched over after a warrant has been issued.
Customers are being denied an opportunity to challenge what is happening. It would seem that the ruling class has learned the lessons of the Poll Tax in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Then, magistrates were unable to operate because of the large amount of nonpayers attending hearings.
This is not the same, but lessons can be learned from the struggle against the Poll Tax. Community mobilisations could develop to resist the imposition of pre-payment meters.
Protests against rising energy costs should be linked to the ongoing strike wave. Coordinated strike action – building to a 24-hour general strike – would give communities the confidence to resist prepayment meters being installed. Particularly if it was linked to demands around rent control, cheap public transport and other issues fuelling the cost-of-living crisis.
This raises the need to place demands on politicians. However, it is clear that the Tories and Labour will do little to challenge the energy companies. Alongside strikes and community campaigns, a new mass workers’ party needs to be formed to fight for our interests.
