Protesters are set to descend on Glasgow city centre after it was revealed energy bills are set to soar even higher later this year.
The rally has been set up by the Glaswegian pressure group Power to the People who are calling for a freeze on energy prices. The protest will take place outside Ofgem's Albion Street office in Commonwealth House at 4pm on Friday.
Earlier today Ofgem confirmed the price cap would increase from £1,971-a-year to £3,549 on October 1, meaning average household annual bills could rise by 80 per cent. The move has been met with widespread anger, with politicians and campaigners hitting out.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for the energy price cap to be frozen, tweeting: "This is simply unaffordable for millions. It cannot be allowed to go ahead.
"This rise must be cancelled, with the UK gov and energy companies then agreeing a package to fund the cost of a freeze over a longer period, coupled with fundamental reform of the energy market."
Glasgow councillor, Matt Kerr said: “Make no mistake, if today's announcement goes ahead, it will plunge millions into fuel poverty this winter and crash the economy.
"People have had enough, and we refuse to tolerate the incompetence and indolence of our governments in the face of a crisis they have the power to solve.
"Those in government have a decision to make - do all in their power to reverse this, or accept responsibility for the destruction of lives that will follow.
"If government refuse to use their power, the people will use theirs.”
MSP Paul Sweeney branded the price hike a "humanitarian catastrophe" and warned people could freeze to death this winter.
Scottish lawyer and activist Aamer Anwar added: "For many elderly and vulnerable people this will be a death sentence, as millions are plunged into fuel poverty."
Three Power To The People groups have been established so far in Glasgow, Liverpool and Dundee. Earlier this month they took hundreds of protesters along to demonstrate outside of the Scottish Power offices in Glasgow.
They are calling for "an immediate price freeze on energy bills, an end to late payment fees by the big energy companies and an end to prepayment meters."
Power to the People spokesperson Frances Curran warned energy companies that people are not going to just accept the price hikes.
She told the Record: “They cannot be serious, almost 180 per cent increase in energy bills over seven months.
"If the government and energy companies think that people are going to just accept this while they rake in profit they are in for a shock.
"They are stoking up a cauldron of anger and a fight back unseen in this country. A price freeze on 1st October is the only way to avoid it.”
Another campaign group, Scottish Resistance, visited the same Ofgem office earlier on Friday morning.
Images showed the group walking inside and holding a loft placards and signs, calling for the price hikes on energy bills to be scrapped.
Ofgem has been approached for comment.
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