'We sit in the dark to save money on electricity'

More than 100 protestors have demonstrated outside the head office of Guernsey Electricity Limited (GEL) against above-inflation price rises.

The island’s government-owned electricity company is raising its prices from the start of July, with some customers now paying more than they would in the UK.

Pensioner Katina Jones, 70, said she already sat “in the dark” with the lights out to save money on her bill and only used electricity in off-peak hours, when “it’s cheap electric – otherwise we can’t afford it”.

A GEL spokesperson said the utility “absolutely understands the strength of feeling amongst some islanders” and the “impact on customers already struggling with the cost of living”.

The company, which is the island’s only electricity provider, said it had “worked hard to keep this year’s electricity tariff increase as low as possible”.

Mrs Jones said: “I live in an area where there are lots of elderly people.”

She said many of her friends “stay in bed all day or with a blanket over them because they can’t afford their heating on”.

“That’s just not on,” she added.

Jayne Lesbirel, 65, retired recently but used to work for GEL’s predecessor, the States Electricity Board, doing data input.

She said: “We’re on a pension, so we have to budget quite strictly.

“And we also look after our grandchildren, so we are at home a lot more than we were before when we were working.

“In the winter months, we can’t say: ‘Oh no. Sorry, we can’t afford to put the heating on for you, so you’ll have to go cold.'”

She said she felt the reasons Guernsey Electricity gave for the price rises, such as historic underinvestment, were “just an excuse”.

“It’s because they have a monopoly,” she said.

Mandy Moriarty, 68, said it was unfair that the standing charge – which is rising to more than £85 – was the same for everyone regardless of how big their home was.

She said: “You can’t cut down on that. I think the fairer way would be to put a little bit more on the units that you use.”

“I live in a very old Guernsey cottage, which is stone and it’s freezing in there in the winter, and I only run one radiator.”

She said she feared that, if prices rose at the same rate in future, she would have to turn the heating off altogether, adding: “Then you get damp, so that’s not the answer.”

“You shouldn’t be sitting there freezing cold in this day and age because of greed.”

GEL decided a few years ago to change the way its tariffs were structured, so people paid a higher fixed cost, known as the standing charge.

It rose more than 380% between 2021 and July 2025 – from just under £18 to £86.75 a quarter.

That is nearly £40 a quarter more expensive than the highest standing charge allowed on the British mainland.

So, why is it rising?

Before 2022, GEL said 96% of its income came from charging people for using electricity – the unit charge.

However, as more people install renewable energy – such as solar panels – in their homes, this would mean the amount of money the company made dropped.

This, in turn, has meant increasing the prices for people without renewables, so it could afford “the fixed costs of maintaining and upgrading the electricity network”, the company said.

A GEL spokesperson told the BBC the company planned to review how it charged for electricity to make it “sustainable” – including for customers “who place a lower strain on the island’s electricity network”.

They said “there will not be further large standing charge increases” until the review had been completed.

Protest organiser Myles Duquemin said it was unfair the increased standing charge was “the same whether you’re in a five-bedroom mansion or live in a one-bedroom flat”.

“Electricity is not a luxury, it’s a basic human right,” he said.

He added he hoped “the rates come down and it’s reviewed by the new deputies”.

Mr Duquemin said he had received many messages thanking him for organising the protest.

He said many were from cancer suffers and survivors, as well as pensioners, adding: “They either couldn’t speak up or felt too afraid to.”

GEL said it respected “our customers’ right to raise their concerns and to attend the protest”.

A spokesperson for the company thanked Mr Duquemin for “his commitment to ensure the safety and security of our staff and premises on the day”.

The company took the decision to close its retail shop at its St Sampson headquarters on Saturday, as the protest was due to begin outside it.

GEL said: “Where a customer is concerned about their electricity bill, our advice is always to contact us as soon as possible if they are worried about falling into difficulty.”

“We also share information on our website about our tariffs, the reasons for recent increases, how we spend revenue and ways which consumers can save money on their bills.”