Price rise looms as Sark Electricity Ltd faces standoff with Chief Pleas

There is renewed uncertainty over the security of Sark's electricity supply, after the island's sole provider accused the island's Chief Pleas of trying to drive down the cost of the company ahead of forced nationalisation.

Sark's elected parliament commenced plans for a compulsory purchase of the company in November 2021. However Alan Witney-Price, owner of Sark Electricity Ltd, has accused politicians of working to devalue the company ahead of the buyout.

In a letter to the head of the island's Policy & Finance Committee, Mr Witney-Price warns that customers will also face an increase of 11.3p per unit at the end of June, when a six-month fuel subsidy comes to an end.

He said: "The price increase that is about to strike the customer will have an enormous impact on residents and will create hardship across the island. I have personally subsidised the unit price for 6 months out of my own pocket, at a cost in excess of £12,000 for the month of April alone. This, to give P&F the opportunity to complete its forced nationalisation plans and chart its own course.

"Despite your repeated commitments to do so, you have simply chosen not to engage as any other reasonable and effective government would have done."

Mr Witney-Price says the island must replace infrastructure, including engines, transformers and switch gear - and that the maintaining this infrustructure is placing 'intolerable physical and mental pressure' on the company's engineering team, which has been working across the weekend to keep the infrastructure working in order to maintain supply.

He says the Chief Pleas must drop its plans for forced nationalisation, saying the Policy & Finance Committee has 'no credible basis' to pursue it.

ITV News has contacted the Chief Pleas for comment.