Another 3% could be added to April electricity price rise

Tuesday 24th January 2012, 11:30AM GMT.

ELECTRICITY bills could rise by a total of 5.5% this spring in a bid to pay for new infrastructure.

Guernsey Electricity had already announced there would be a 2.5% price increase from April – on top of the 2.5% increase introduced last October – to help cover rising wholesale electricity costs.

But managing director Alan Bates, pictured, said the company was now proposing adding another 3% rise to cover capital investment.

‘Unfortunately, during a period of high investment, the tariffs do not always follow current wholesale market conditions, but are instead to reflect the investment profile,’ he said.

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1
markB

January 24, 2012 at 12:36 pm

These boys have a license to print money!!

whilst in the UK utility bills are going down

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2
John K

January 24, 2012 at 1:10 pm

To be honest I’m not particularly concerned with a potential 5.5% increase in my electricity bill. I think the current tariff is more than reasonable and I’ve always been more than happy with the quality of service and helpful attitude of the staff.

The same cannot be said for Guernsey Gas where my ever increasing bill is ridiculously high despite my best efforts to reduce our consumption in our St Peter Port flat. I’ve attempted to get to the bottom of this never ending expense but am met with unhelpful staff whenever I phone to discuss the matter. Am I the only one who has experienced this mass difference in utility companies???

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- Tony
  
  January 25, 2012 at 9:52 am
  
  Add to that the Gas price rise rip off …
  
  They always seem to increase prices part way through a quarter and then average out the increase … so they will put up the price in February – take your TOTAL consumption up till the end of March – then charge you the old price for 2/3rds and the new price for 1/3rd of the TOTAL. So even if you used no gas at all in March you’d still be paying the higher price for some of the Gas you used in January and February. When coincidentaly you would probably have used more gas because the weather is usually colder ….
  
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3
Ray

January 24, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Is the price rise required to ensure that the proposed data park will always have sufficient power on tap?

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4
Expat80

January 24, 2012 at 6:10 pm

So what’s Bates smirking about? Is he getting an extra bonus out of it while the lower paid get increasingly battered or what?

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5
Unemployed Dude

January 25, 2012 at 6:03 am

I will admit that I work for GE. In all honesty our lecky is cheap. We have had a bargain for far too long.

Charge me the going rate.

I’m ready.

The people pay policy needs to be introduced so others don’t get lumbered with politics like many other areas across the board with public services.

I’ll happily pay for a continuance of the excellent service we all take for granted.

The guys at GE do a top job.

I know.

First hand!

Do I now get a pay rise?

Desperately seeking one here!

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- Paul Le Page
  
  January 25, 2012 at 4:33 pm
  
  Interesting name for someone who works at Guernsey Electricity eh Unemployed Dude?!
  
  ….or maybe that’s why our bills are going up, GE are still paying staff that have left!
  
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6
Iknowstuff

January 26, 2012 at 11:22 am

What we are being asked to do is subsidise the massive uprise in commercial use of power. We are paying for the last 10 year data centre expansion and computer use, and as you point out, probably the power required for the new data centre at Route Militaire.

Domestic users are subsidising the commercials. A fact the regulator knows and is in cahoots with the leccy board on.

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