After two and a half years of pushing for a better, fairer energy system that doesn’t leave anyone behind, the Warm This Winter campaign has come to an end.
In 2022, we were facing a new national emergency. Millions of us were plunged into a deepening cost-of-living crisis, as rocketing gas prices sent inflation soaring and energy bills through the roof. At the same time, we were seeing the impacts of our reliance on fossil fuels in record temperatures/unprecedented heatwaves and extreme weather.
We couldn’t ignore this crisis. And there were clear solutions - they just needed the government to implement them. United by the belief that everyone deserves to be warm every winter, a coalition of leading anti-poverty groups, health campaigners, and environmental organisations came together to demand a better response from our government and a real solution to our broken energy system:
Over the last 32 months, the campaign saw hundreds of thousands of people take action in their communities, online and in the heart of Westminster, as well as countless pieces of media coverage and political interventions to put fuel poverty in the spotlight and turn up the pressure on the UK government.
Three changes in prime minister later, we’ve seen some important progress. The introduction of the Windfall Tax, the extension of the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme, and investment in Boiler Upgrade and Home Insulation schemes have been important wins. Polling day saw the election of a government pledging to bring down energy bills, insulate more homes, expand renewables, and end new oil and gas licensing. And while new challenges have emerged and the work is far from over, it’s time for this campaign take a new form.
Warm This Winter was always intended to be an emergency response to the crisis we were facing as energy bills soared in 2022 following the start of the war in Ukraine. The campaign brought together a huge number of groups and people already doing incredible work during a time of extreme urgency for millions of households. We faced a dire situation and we fought back, winning key victories for everyone working for a fairer energy system.
Whether you’ve signed a petition, shared a social media post, organised an event or met with your MP, you have made a vital contribution. Thank you for being part of this movement.
While the crisis that started Warm This Winter isn’t over, with millions still feeling the impacts of sky-high bills and cold homes, the moment that this campaign was built for has passed. What worked over the past few years may not work in the years ahead. We need new voices, new coalitions and new groups across the country demanding a better, fairer energy system and a permanent break from our expensive overreliance on gas, the root cause of the crisis that brought us together in the first place.
Many of the groups that were key to Warm This Winter are now planning future ways to achieve the core aims of this campaign. We encourage you to get involved and support them in the months and years ahead.
We believe in a country where everyone can have a safe, warm home - where no one has to choose between heating and eating, where no one is worried about mould or the health of their family. Together, we helped that world come closer. Thank you.
There are some brilliant groups continuing to work on each of Warm This Winter's demand areas. You can find and follow them below, and see our full list of partners here.
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition brings together dozens of groups to fight for warm, dry homes that are affordable to heat and power. Sign up to keep on taking action on bringing down bills and the fight to keep people warm every winter here.
