Sark Electricity denies overcharging its customers
SARK ELECTRICITY has defended claims that it has been overcharging some of its customers – by 80 pence.
Sark’s electricity price control commissioner, Anthony White, said he had discovered that a customer had been overcharged 80p by Sark Electricity for consumption during December.
On further investigation, he found that other residents had also been similarly overcharged by the overall sum of 80p.
In response, a Sark Electricity spokesman said Mr White had failed to check the facts.
‘Had he done so he would have been aware, as are our customers through our many conversations in person, that the 80p charge in January was made in an effort to balance the consistent undercharging for the year 2021,’ he said.
‘We have had many conversations and calls with our customers about the fact that our billing system struggles to accommodate the frequent changes not to the unit price, but to the number of units included within the £40 charge. At 50p per unit, 80 units are included within the £40 charge. At 53p per unit, it is 75.47 units. Our billing system can only bill in whole units, which is typical.’
He said that the shortfall in billing up to the end of 2021 was 71p.
‘Given that we are not working in fractions, we recovered 80p and our expectation is that SEL will be short again by March 2022 close,’ the spokesman said.
Mr White said he was concerned people were not getting the correct information about charging and recommended that customers should check they have been billed the appropriate amount.
While a two-year electricity price control order has now expired, Mr White said he wanted to continue ensuring electricity prices in Sark were fair and reasonable.
He also challenged SEL, saying the company was not replacing electrical equipment that was no longer fit for purpose.
‘It is irresponsible, in my view, for an electricity supplier to ignore the risk to customers of unscheduled losses of supply,’ he said.
‘I believe that this inaction is not in the best interests of Sark’s residents nor SEL itself.’
But SEL said the purpose of the grid was to transmit power and this was a function they performed consistently.
‘Our grid is certainly fit for purpose, although it is definitely in need of upgrading,’ the spokesman said.
