Derry rally against rising energy costs to go ahead this weekend 

There is set to be a rally in the Guildhall Square on Saturday September 10, highlighting the pressures facing workers and families from rising energy bills.

The rally comes on the back of the announcement of huge hikes to gas prices in the city and district due to kick in from early October.

Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Sandra Duffy, has encouraged people to attend a demonstration.

Councillor Sandra Duffy said: “The latest catastrophic rise to gas prices announced by Firmus this week is deeply worrying for workers, families and small businesses across our city and district.

“People are already struggling to pay their bills. This is a cost-of-living emergency. Huge hikes to energy prices which will see household bills go through the roof is placing huge worry on families.

“The British government needs to introduce measures that will cut people’s bills and put a stop to people being ripped off. People in this city need an Executive up and running, ministers in place, and parties working together to put money in their pockets.

“I would urge people to attend a demonstration in the Guildhall Square at 1pm this Saturday afternoon to make it clear that the energy rip-off must end and people have proper support."

A march has also been organised against the rising energy costs by Derry Against Poverty due to go ahead on October 1.

The march has been organised on the back of Liz Truss' latest announcement regarding a £2500 cap on energy bills with no details surrounding Northern Ireland.

People are asked to gather at the Train Station in Duke Street at 2pm to march to Guildhall Square in the city centre for a rally. 

Spokesperson Sinead Quinn said: “We are absolutely outraged by the lack of detail and clarity around the much hyped cost of living proposal by the newly installed Prime Minister Liz Truss. 

"Many people in our society simply cannot afford to pay £2,500 per year for their energy nor should they have to when huge companies like BP & Shell are still hauling in record profits. 

"Apart from that, we do not have a price cap in Northern Ireland nor a functioning government to provide a corresponding scheme. Our energy system is extremely unregulated and completely different to that in Britain so we will need a tailored solution. But it is highly unlikely that an appropriate, sensible method of getting the help out to those who need it will come any time soon thanks to the DUP.”

“Thus far, the Barnett Consequentials (cash payments on top of the block grant sent to Northern Ireland to provide tailored measures to ease the cost of living crisis) have not been able to be utilised due to a lack of an Executive. 

"The Department of Finance won’t even disclose how much has been sent this year from Westminster to Northern Ireland denying a Freedom of Information request claiming releasing this information wouldn’t be in the public interest. It is a total shambles.

“This comes in a week where the Utility Regulator has approved a mammoth hike in Firmus Gas prices locally. People already couldn’t afford to switch on their heat and this blow will come just as families have had to struggle to purchase school uniforms to get their kids back to school and looking ahead to a long, cold and stressful winter. 

"It must be said that the Utility Regulator is absolutely failing in their duty to protect the interests of energy customers here and has been for some time.

“Additionally, unregulated home heating oil prices have jumped significantly in the past three weeks from £398 for 500 litres mid August to £535 for the same today. 

"SSE Airtricity are hiking their prices by 35.4% and Click Energy by 28.2% which both take effect on 1st October. People simply cannot afford to pay these scandalous prices and it is now clear that government policy at Westminster is fuelling this crisis. 

"Huge gas & oil producers, like Shell & BP, are making an absolute fortune off the backs of the poorest people in our city and across these islands and are being shamefully enabled to do so by the Tories.

“Even the £400 all household payments we were promised have not been delivered as yet. Many working people have not had one iota of financial support thus far and we are now well over a year into the soaring energy costs. 

"Ostensibly, we are without political leadership and we are still without the political will necessary to support our people at this frightening time. We call on the DUP to, put simply, wise up and get back to work immediately."

Everyone is welcome to the march as they hope to "collectively apply the pressure necessary to ensure the government does the right thing by us all.”

Derry Against Fuel Poverty is a grassroots anti-poverty campaign set up in January 2022 to mobilise working class people in the city in the face of ever rising household bills.