Harrods, Scottish Power and the British Museum were targeted as protesters occupied buildings across the UK as part of a campaign against rising energy bills and fuel poverty.

A series of “warm-ups” were held by members of Don’t Pay UK, Fuel Poverty Action, Just Stop Oil and others, in which people were invited to go to public buildings to keep warm as a group.

Protesters bedded down with blankets, sleeping bags and hot water bottles in the foyer of Scottish Power’s Glasgow headquarters at 9am.

Another group occupied the British Museum’s great hall – the largest indoor public square in Europe – to draw attention to the museum’s sponsorship links with oil firm BP.

Just Stop Oil members briefly occupied beds and sofas at Harrods department store in central London, before being escorted out of the store by around 20 security guards, the group said.

They held signs saying “Just stop oil, just start insulation”, “Just stop fuel poverty” and “oil equals death”.

What are the groups demanding?

Venues for other warm-ups included shopping centres in Stratford, Manchester, Liverpool, Brighton and Bristol, and a Barclays bank branch in Hastings where campaigners will draw attention to the bank’s investment in fossil fuels.

Cardiff, Guildford, Huddersfield, Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, Stroud, Portsmouth, were also among the centres expected to see warm-ups.

The campaign groups are demanding the government immediately tackle the energy and cost of living crisis by introducing Energy For All – a “universal, free band of energy to cover people’s necessities”.

This would be paid for by “ending all public money subsidising fossil fuels, a more effective windfall tax on energy companies and higher tariffs on luxury household energy use”, they said.

‘We’re coming together to fight back’

Millions of households are receiving payments of hundreds of pounds from the government to help with the crisis over winter, but campaigners say this does not go far enough.

Neil Smith is a spokesperson for Don’t Pay UK, which has encouraged people to cancel their energy bill direct debits as costs rise.

He said: “No one should go cold in winter, yet what we’re seeing is a mass default on these extortionate energy bills and thousands set to freeze in their homes.

“While the government stands by, we’re coming together in our communities to fight back and keep each other warm.”

Read more:
Energy crisis activists carry out sit-down protest in parliament
Measures to help poorest this winter ‘£14bn short’
Millions of people ‘already behind with their household bills‘

‘Ordinary people being allowed to starve’

Stuart Bretherton, Fuel Poverty Action campaign coordinator, said: “Ordinary people cannot keep footing the bill for crises created by the wealthy, it’s time for the big polluters and profiteers to pay their share.

“Through this, we could also incentivise much needed climate action on home insulation and a transition to renewables.”

A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said: “This government is allowing ordinary people to starve and freeze this winter as greedy energy companies squeeze every last penny out of us.

“The health service is in crisis, workers’ wages are being squeezed, and nurses are using food banks. Austerity is a political choice, and the cost of living crisis is an unprovoked attack on ordinary people.

“Worse still, rocketing energy prices are funding the companies who are torching the climate.”

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