Italy turns to candles amid energy price hikes

Italy turns to candles amid energy price hikes

Stores in Italy are turning off their lights and opting for candles amid a massive increase in energy bills. 

Italy turns to candles amid energy price hikes
Italy turns to candles amid energy price hikes.

Some reports peg the energy hikes at a 500% increase. Amid the price spike, some stores also removed food items that require cold storage because it costs too much to power refrigerators.

In June, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the country weaned itself down to 25% percent of Russian gas from 40% the year before, Express reports. 

Still, three-quarters of Italy’s power consumption is imported. And while it has decreased reliance on Russian energy, Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom has been hiking prices.

Some bars and restaurants have even been putting their energy bills on display for customers, according to Express. 

Citizens in Naples, Terni, Assisi, Bastia, Foligno, Gubbio, Norcia, Spoleto and more are burning their energy bills in protest to the high costs.

In videos, protesters are burning their bills, saying, “We don’t pay! Now that’s enough!”

The situation is nearly as dire in nearby countries. 

Restaurants and bars in Britain also face the possibility of flipping the switch, while France is turning to a greater reliance on fossil fuels. 

In Scotland, demonstrators are also burning energy bills to protest an 80% price cap increase on annual energy bills.

In a video posted to Twitter, demonstrators toss their energy bills into burning barrels in the middle of the street while a crowd of supporters cheers. The demonstrators then sing, “the bills are on fire.”

As reported by Sky News, the energy regulator Ofgem has confirmed it plans to raise the price cap on household energy to £3,549 per year, up from £1,971 (an 80% increase), which could devastate the lives of millions.

Share this story

Donate now to keep us on the front lines:

Help Keep your News Free

It's crucial we stay in touch

Big Tech wants to censor us, that’s why you need to stay in touch.

[wpp limit=6 order_by='views']

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE...

Trending News

With political tensions rising and an economy in decline, Canadians have formed strong opinions of several countries, many of them negative.

TCS Wire

June 13, 2024

Trending News

Russia has officially added the “international LGBT movement” to a list of terrorist and/or extremist organizations alongside organizations such as ISIS.

TCS Wire

March 27, 2024

Trending News

Jagmeet Singh is Canada’s puppet master, and everyone knows it.

Mike Campbell

March 18, 2024

Trending News

With only 170 seats required to form a majority government, the Opposition Conservatives are in a comfortable position. 

Mike Campbell

March 18, 2024

Trending News

Italy becomes the first country to ban lab-grown meat.

Mike Campbell

November 29, 2023

Trending News

Smith instructs province to ignore Trudeau’s regulations.

Mike Campbell

November 27, 2023

Want to join the conversation?

Sign up now to be able to like, comment and reply to other members. A full membership to our site includes:

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.