Keep the Heat On: Resistance to Rising Utility Costs in Philadelphia

This paper focuses on activism against rising utility costs by the Consumers Education and Protective Association (CEPA), a multiracial grassroots organization based in North Philadelphia that was active from the mid 1960s through the 1980s. Business owners and public officials came to see CEPA as a force to be reckoned with; consumers all over the country sought CEPA’s advice on organizing. Over time, CEPA’s dealings with shady businesses exposed unscrupulous practices and provided restitution for countless wronged individuals. But even more Philadelphians—likely most——stood to benefit from the organization’s systemic resistance against rising transit and utility rates.

CEPA used a mix of tactics to combat rising living expenses amidst deindustrialization and austerity in public spending. They built networks through canvassing and word of mouth, collected evidence of public support in the form of pledges and petitions, held frequent demonstrations, and captured media coverage. Major policy decisions, such as whether to cut off winter heat to customers who could not pay, raised the stakes to survival for the most impacted residents. Though it could not stop all price hikes, CEPA did succeed in repeatedly delaying rate increases and negotiating assistance programs for residents in need.

Though it has received relatively little attention from historians of activism and social movements, consumer action around utilities unified residents across racial, ethnic, class, and local geographic boundaries. It also allowed progressive activists to simultaneously challenge capitalist profiteering and ongoing attempts to reduce the role of local government.