Peak in electricity use during cold weather in Guernsey

Guernsey Electricity said demand on Wednesday matched the previous high recorded in February 2021

A record peak in electricity demand during recent spell of cold weather has been reported by Guernsey Electricity.

Ice warnings were forecast for Guernsey last week, with Jersey seeing significant snowfall.

Guernsey Electricity said on Wednesday, demand reached 94.2MW, matching the historical maximum set during lockdown in February 2021.

Jon Sexton, head of engineering and design, said demand was forecast to rise.

He said: "The maximum energy we can import through the subsea cable is 60MW, which means that generators at the Vale Power Station were required to meet the additional demand.

"As more islanders explore options such as electric heating or electric vehicles, such demand is forecast to rise in the future."

Guernsey Electricity said the additional demand caused some localised supply interrupted and other minor issues, including lights dimming and minor display errors on appliances.

Mr Sexton said the firm was "working to ensure the electrical infrastructure is upgraded and that we maintain sufficient back-up generation on-island in order to provide security of supply for the increased demand."

Follow BBC Guernsey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].