Gas bills to rise '£35 a year'

Thursday 29 August 2019

Guernsey Gas has announced a price rise of 3.8%, taking effect from 1 September, saying that it will add around £35 per year to the average gas bill.

Even with this increase, Guernsey Gas has said the average annual bill will be £12 (1.2%) per annum lower than in September 2014.

The utility has said it is 'committed to giving customers greater control over how they manage their bills, this is why it plans to remove the banded standing charge for domestic central heating customers'.

Guernsey Gas Managing Director, Ian Plenderleith, said: “This price increase is directly due to the significant reduction in the pound to dollar exchange rate and its impact on the price we pay for Liquid Petroleum Gas. As a company we work hard to be as efficient as possible to keep price increases to an absolute minimum, which can be seen from our customers’ average bills, which are still below 2014 levels. Providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to our customers across the island is our core objective, along with delivering market leading customer service.”

“We will be removing the banded standing charge system for domestic central heating customers from 1 January 2020, to further help our customers better manage their bills. This will mean that all of our central heating customers will be put onto the lowest standing charge rate, which will be £130 per annum. This change will significantly reduce the fixed proportion of customers’ bills, enabling the vast majority of our customers to have greater control over their heating bills.” 

Mr Plenderleith added: “We continue to look for ways to keep our customers’ bills down and help them to reduce their use of energy by offering efficient, smart home heating solutions. Our boiler leasing scheme is just one example where our customers have been able to install highly energy-efficient gas heating systems, which are typically 15% more energy efficient.  These home heating systems can significantly reduce our customer’s carbon footprint, which is great for our islands.”

“Looking into the future we are committed to investing in smarter on-island energy solutions that are sustainable in the short and long-term. We will continue to work with the States of Guernsey and our partners to further develop competition and choice in the energy sector across the Channel Islands.”

Guernsey Gas' specialist customer services team is trained to help customers find tailored payment solutions that suit their personal circumstances. If any customer would like to discuss payment options or requires further information on the price changes, please do not hesitate to contact Guernsey Gas on 749020 or billing@i-e-g.com.