Sark Electricity more than doubled the price of the electricity on the island at the start of last month by adding 60p worth of legal tariffs to every unit with only a few days’ notice.
The extra fees, added to pay legal fees in a fight against the compulsory purchase of the company and restrictions from the island’s price control commissioner, made a unit of power £1.13.
This is more than four times the cost in Guernsey and was thought to probably be the most expensive electricity per unit in the world.
While a new price cap of 52p was brought in on the 1 October it still left Sarkees facing massive bills for September.
Seigneur Christopher Beaumont has reiterated his intention not to pay the legal levies.
‘I said I would not pay these additional costs shortly after they were announced,’ he said. ‘I have not been persuaded by Mr Witney-Price’s [SEL’s managing director] arguments that I should and therefore my position still stands.
'I had hoped that common sense would prevail and the legal levies would be discarded in favour of allowing statutory process by the price commissioner.’
Mr Beaumont lives at La Seigneurie, the 40-room ancestral seat of the Seigneur of Sark, which dates back to 1565.
He said his bill for August came to £745 based on an estimated consumption of 1,500 units.
‘This month’s bill, also based on an estimated consumption of 1,500 units is £1,707.43. This is a 129% increase.
'Every individual and business on Sark will be seeing this increase on their bills.’
The Seigneur was not the only individual on Sark refusing to pay the legal levies.
Sark’s government has also stated that if any such levy was included in any bill issued to them it would not be paid.
This includes power used by the abattoir, visitor centre, medical centre, school, sewage plant, incinerator, borehole pumps, harbour toilets, committee office and fire station.
Mr Beaumont added that in a letter from SEL’s legal representatives to customers, dated 23 September, it stated that it was a matter for each and every individual to decide whether or not they wished to use the electricity provided.
But if they chose to do so, they were bound by the new prices.
‘The notion that anyone on Sark could find an alternative supply is difficult to comprehend – there is no alternative supplier – and to do so within four working days is nigh-on impossible,’ he said.
‘I do not recognise the changes announced in late August as fair or reasonable.
'I shall revert to the previous billing structure and pay for the estimated electricity used.
'I urge the residents of Sark not to be afraid to stand up to these bullying tactics.'
Mr Beaumont appealed to Mr Witney-Price to acknowledge that nobody appeared to support his tactics.
‘When your entire customer base disapproves is it not time to consider whether you, yourself might be the problem?’ he said.
‘There is still time to recall the bills just issued, wind them back to the August prices and re-issue.
'No one will object to this. It is the right thing to do.’
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