Watchdog wants more clarity on electricity tariffs

Jersey Electricity (JE) should provide clearer information on its tariffs, the island's competition watchdog has recommended.

Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority looked at how Jersey Electricity supplies power to residents and businesses and what it could do to improve.

In a report, the watchdog said in the absence of competition "consumers need to be encouraged to actively choose a tariff and supported to make an informed decision on their tariff choice".

In a response to the draft report, JE said it provided "clear and straightforward information" regarding tariffs and assisted customers with changing tariffs.

The authority said there were a variety of tariffs available but most domestic and commercial customers were on general tariffs.

"For example, consumers may not have full visibility of how Jersey Electricity decides the start and end time of its time-of-use tariffs," the report said.

"Further, there are different metering requirements for different tariffs.

"As a result, consumers wishing to switch between these groups of tariffs would need to change their meter (alongside other potential wiring changes) in advance of the switching."

JE said the report "seems to suggest that the low switching rate in Jersey is a poor reflection on consumer outcomes, but there is no substantiation for that claim".

"Our customers benefit from some of the lowest tariff costs in Europe and we are committed to enhancing consumer awareness and comprehension of their electricity consumption via the MyJE App.

"This application assists users in tracking their patterns of electricity consumption, and we have observed that our customers are experiencing reductions in their usage by utilising the app."

The report found Jersey had the second-lowest electricity prices when compared with Guernsey, France, Malta, the Isle of Man and the UK.

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