Ecotricity founder and green industrialist Dale Vince has responded after members of Unite Community staged a protest outside the company’s headquarters in Stroud over rising energy bills today, Wednesday.
Ahead of Wednesday’s demonstration, Mr Vince addressed a message to Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, arguing the protest was aimed at the wrong part of the energy industry.
In a post on social media ahead of the protest, Mr Vince wrote: “Sharon Graham… I just heard of a planned protest by Unite on the issue of high energy bills outside Ecotricity’s office in Stroud. Understand the core issue is ‘profiteering’ and you published a useful table of profits in the overall sector to back your point.
“If you look at that properly you’ll see that the super high profits, as margins and as £s, are not being made by energy retailers – where Ofgem controls profit margins to a pretty marginal 2%. The big money, and where we have common cause with you, is being made by extraction (53%), grid (38%) and generation (28%).
“You’re aiming at the wrong target in retail (2%) and your own data shows that. We’ve published a number of papers on energy market reform and would be happy to share them. We see a way to halve energy bills with three simple (though fundamental) reforms. Wanna chat?”
The protest coincides with a 13 per cent increase in the energy price cap, which came into effect on Wednesday for the period from 1 July to 30 September. The typical annual bill for a dual-fuel household paying by direct debit has risen to £1,862, adding around £18 a month to bills. Energy costs remain around 79 per cent higher than they were before the energy crisis began in winter 2020/21.
Sue Powell, a Unite Community activist, told Stroud Times: “It’s a part of a national day of action within the Unite Union cost of living campaign, campaign for workers’ economy. The cost-of-living crisis is affecting millions of people, energy prices are going up again today and energy companies made 61 billion pounds profit in the same year as the winter fuel allowance was cut.
“That winter fuel announce has now been reinstated, but that was in part due to the massive campaign that Unite waged, discussing with politicians but also organising days of action across the country. And I think today there’s going to be a demonstration in London and the various local protests. We’re protesting here in Stroud outside Ecotricity, demanding union recognition as well as fair and affordable green energy prices.”
Robin Layfield, Stroud District Green Party’s Trade Union Liaison Officer (Tulo), added: “I am a member of the Unite Community. I’m also on the Stroud and District Trades Council for Unite Community. So this is important to me. I’m keen that we step up. It’s really important to us to stand up for workers’ rights, and particularly around energy and the cost of living.
“The reason we’re here today is because the government is increasing the energy price cap. To my mind, it’s not a price cap if it can change whenever the government feels like it, and it seems quite cynical. It was reduced earlier in the year when people were about to stop paying more for energy. It’s now going up by 13% heading into autumn.
“The reason given for this is increased cost of fuel, which is really driven by an illegal war being promulgated by the US and Israel. It’s got nothing to do with us. I don’t see why we should be paying for it.
“There’s this formula that’s used for the price of energy where the price of renewables is charged at the same rate as the price of gas. It’s the most expensive component to bring into play. And it seems unnecessary. It’s just increased profits for fossil fuel companies.
“Those profits are coming out off the backs of people working. It’s leading to a cost-of-living crisis which we could avoid if we just change that formula. The Green Party is committed to re-nationalisation of the five biggest energy providers. We value some kind of competition in the marketplace from agile and efficient smaller companies, but we something needs to happen.
“Too many of our privatised industries are just giving profits to shareholders and they’re not giving value to customers. You’ve seen this with water and the pollution, the way the system’s being run down and degraded. I’m not an official local party spokesperson, I’m just the Tulo rep speaking in support of unions.
“I think ultimately this is a political choice. We can choose to increase the price cap or we can choose to tax the wealthy. I think if it was fairly applied energy pricing that would be reasonable but I’ve heard today the government’s introducing legislation for next year for data centres to have price subsidies on energy at times of peak use. I think it’s just unfair that these choices are being made that don’t benefit ordinary working people.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The increase in the energy cap is another kick in the teeth for workers and families who were already struggling with ever rising bills and the cost-of-living crisis. The UK has among the highest energy bills in Europe, they should be going down not up.
“While everyday people suffer, energy companies are shamelessly profiteering, making millions. We need decisive action for the short and long term. There must be an immediate and deep cut in the energy price cap and a plan to renationalise our energy to end corporate greed, beginning with the National Grid.”
According to Unite, energy companies make around £30 billion a year in profits, meaning the average household pays around £500 annually towards company profits through their energy bills. The union says almost a quarter of households are in debt to their energy suppliers, while the personal shareholdings of chief executives in major energy firms have increased by more than £6 million since the start of 2026.
