YouTube challenge to Big Six goes viral

The clip is part of the ‘Dump the Big Six’ campaign launched by green energy company Ecotricity, which aims to challenge the market dominance of market leading energy suppliers British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Npower, Scottish & Southern, and Scottish Power.

It also aims to bring the UK into a “green energy future” and has featured in the top five films worldwide, earning airtime on US and Canadian television. It is set to be viewed in Norway, the Middle East and Latin America this week.

The online animation film features crumbling cooling towers as symbols of a passing era, of the old industrial approach to energy production – through burning fossil fuels.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said he believes it is the right moment for people to “vote with their energy bills and ‘Dump the Big Six'”.

He added: “The interests of the Big Six energy companies are simply not aligned to the interests of the British people. They chase short-term profit and shareholder dividends – at almost any cost.

“People are fed up with the unethical pricing, awful customer service and the dire lack of investment in new sources of green energy.”

Meanwhile, Consumer group Which? and liberal pressure group Compass have also launched a campaign as part of a drive to tackle escalating energy prices and “confusing” energy tariffs.

As part of the Which? Affordable Energy Campaign, it is calling on consumers to ask energy secretary Ed Davey to “step in and tackle tariffs once and for all”. It also wants it to be easier for consumers to switch suppliers and not be punished for using less energy.

Carys Matthews