Electric Avenue, in Brixton, South London, is as bustling as ever.
Laughter and bartering cries fill the air but there is an undercurrent of anger.
Built in the 1880s, the street got its name when it became the first market street to be lit by electric lights. It was also used as the title of the hit song by Eddy Grant in 1983.
However, soon here, like everywhere else, people are fearing that they won’t be able to afford to keep their lights on.
Hamid Ullah, 35, who works at his brother’s phone store on the avenue, explains that he is worried about these rising bills, especially when winter hits.
“I’m going to be very covered up at home, everyone will feel the squeeze,” he says.
Gloria Austin, 66, from nearby Herne Hill, comes to Brixton to shop.
She is retired and lives at home with her husband, caring for her 34-year-old son who is a kidney dialysis patient.
“My little pension is not really covering things,” she explains. “So the price going up again will put added pressure on myself and my family.
“We are worried about my son when the winter comes.
“I don’t know from day to day how much further his illness may progress so, yes, it’s a worry for me that the bill is going up.”
Shumba, a Rastafarian who lives in Brixton, is currently battling another type of bill.
“I got a water bill for £560. I am 86, how am I going to get that money to pay? And these bills are all going up more.
“They will have to put me into prison, I don’t mind.”
Deborah Aitkin, 65, who lives with partner Mike Myer, 93, is already thinking about how she can lower her bill.
She says: “I’m looking at ways that I can keep the heat in my house.
“So I’m thinking about filling cracks because we have wooden floorboards. So I’m trying to get all the cracks filled, maybe making more curtains, heavier curtains.
“I’m worried because we’re pensioners. I’m wondering how we’re going to afford it.”
And Clevence Darkins, 51, believes that the Government must consider nationalising the energy firms.
He says: “I live alone but it’s still going up, even with the prepaid meter it’s still expensive. The Government should take all these things back into control and the taxpayer should benefit. They have too many shareholders and greedy executives who are getting all the money.”
Otto Ammour, 38, a maintenance manager, says he won’t be able to pay his energy bill.
He said: “If it goes up I’m not going to pay it. I’m not planning to break the rules but it will be impossible. It will be half of my wages.”
