Electricity price hike will 'overwhelm poorest'

Guernsey islanders are bracing themselves for price hikes

Guernsey's electricity supplier is being urged by a woman who is unable to work for health reasons to rethink its decision to raise prices.

States-owned Guernsey Electricity Limited (GEL) announced last week its standing tariff will from £68.25 to £86.75 per quarter from July.

The States Trading Supervisory Board (STSB) said the increases are needed because it is not "commercially sustainable" for GEL to keep borrowing to cover infrastructure costs.

Islander Clare Martin receives income support due to being unable to work following cancer treatment and said the hike will be "overwhelming" for islanders on low incomes.

Clare Martin says the price hike has left her feeling overwhelmed

It comes after GEL rates increased by 13% in 2023 and by 10% in 2024.

Ms Martin developed a rare blood cancer in 2023, which meant she had to stop work and undergo months of intensive chemotherapy treatment in Southampton.

She said when she first heard electricity prices were set to increase she felt "really overwhelmed and scared".

"I am already in debt with the electric because of being in hospital and having no family to help with that - it's really overwhelming," she said.

She now fears being unable to afford day-to-day living costs, and says she is left with £40 a month after paying for her electricity.

She said: "There are a lot of people out there that are in a similar situation unable to work.

"It's not only the physical side of things but the mental aspect as well, because you worry - where will I get the extra money from?"

GEL CEO Alan Bates said the increases are needed to ensure the company remains operational.

"It's not about creating anything new for the future, this is just really keeping us where we are today so we don't see more power cuts or faults in the road," he told BBC Radio Guernsey.