Electricity prices to go up

Friday 21 February 2014

Electricity prices are going up by an average of 1.5% to cover the higher cost of generating power at La Collette since the loss of the undersea French supply cable last June.

The rise will take effect from 1 April, and follows an average 9% increase last January which the JEC says was to meet the cost of heavy fuel oil used to generate electricity here, rather than importing it from France.

Jersey Electricity CEO Chris Ambler said: “We are still feeling the effects of reduced importation from EDF due to the failure of our oldest undersea cable. However, we have managed to postpone the below inflation increase until after the winter period to minimise the burden on business and household budgets.

“The company is also in the midst of the biggest investment programme in its history. This includes the eight-year, £70million project to install a third 100MW French interconnector, Normandie 3. We have a potential £40million project to replace EDF 1 over the same route as the failed cable. We have recently completed a £9 million project to install two new diesel generators at La Collette as well as an upgrade of the previously ‘moth-balled’ steam turbines and other generation plant. And we now have a brand new £12 million project to build a vital new primary sub-station to enhance and secure supplies in St Helier."

Mr Ambler says the rise is below Jersey’s inflation level of 1.9% and well below the average 5% rises implemented by the Big Six energy companies in the UK.