Cold temperatures heat up JEC sales

Wednesday 26th January 2011, 3:00PM GMT.

Demand for electricity rose in December as everyone tried to keep warm

THE freezing weather in December provided an unexpected boost for the JEC, according to a trading statement issued this week.

The cold temperatures may have hit town sales badly but demand for power rose sharply during the month.

Islanders used 11 per cent more power to heat their homes in December than they did in the same month the year before.

And in the 13 weeks from 1 October until 25 January, consumption was up by eight per cent overall, according to the figures released to the stock exchange.

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1
Mulvie Le Phew

January 26, 2011 at 3:40 pm

Well it’s not like we can use an alternative supplier, presumably the 20% of elderly people who can’t afford to heat their homes put another jumper on.

Didn’t the JEC increase prices by 24% recently and gas by 15% – time we had a utilities regulator methinks.

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2
Adrian

January 26, 2011 at 5:21 pm

MLP the JEC put up electric prices by 19% in Jan 2007 followed by 24% in Jan 2009 people seem to have forgotten this happened.

However they did reduce their electric prices by a generous 5% a year or two ago.

About time for competition as far as I am concerned. As soon as there is, and even if they were around the same price I would still more elsewhere.

Their profits were up 34% this year no doubt the directors and shareholders did well out of this.

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3
bella

January 26, 2011 at 5:53 pm

They did increase prices by 24% 1.
Robbing Paul to pay Peter!
As soon as states got majority shares in company up went the price.
Must keep the share-holders happy,never mind about cold pensioners as long as the dividends keep rising.

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4
Pip Clement

January 26, 2011 at 6:53 pm

I doubt it is practical to have another supplier in the island because the market is so small.
The States have always had a controlling interest in the company from its foundation.
If the company was a private concern it would probably be bought by its supplier, EdF, and run from France.

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5
Worried JEC Customer

January 27, 2011 at 12:20 am

I guess this means even more profits for the JEC, while their customers have to struggle to pay their extortionate bills! I’m dreading receiving my next electricity bill, as I don’t know how I’m going to afford to pay it!

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6
Davey West

January 28, 2011 at 9:19 am

Lets hope the JEC Powerhouse Retail store sold big time over Xmas otherwise our bills will increase to cover the shortfall,as they did after poor trading figures for 2009.Its all about company profits.

Every other retail shop in the world wishes they had income from the sale of electricity which they can charge more for, to make up for weak retail sales. Electricity is after all an essential commodity we all need.

Ask Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf if he considers this good practice, then ask the pensioners, and those on low incomes.

Davey West.

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7
Adrian

January 28, 2011 at 6:57 pm

Davey yes it is and that is why it should be totally in the public’s hands and no private investors should be making money on dividends, derived from people’s hard earned cash.

No doubt the returns are much higher than the banks are giving on savers money as well. Maybe someone will be kind enough to correct me if I’m wrong?

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