Guernsey residents face delays switching homes to electric heating
Guernsey residents are currently facing lengthy waiting times when trying to switch their home heating from fossil fuel-based systems for electric ones - because the island's infrastructure can't cope.
Shortcomings within the electricity network in some areas have left residents considering switching unable to.
Electrician Lee Meacham was recently asked to replace an oil-fired boiler for electric heating before the winter, but after the homeowners discovered how long it could take, they decided to stick with oil instead.
He said: "I had approval for this either last week or the week before but by the time I actually put my test forms in, it would have been February or March time before the connection to the grid, so it just wasn't feasible to have a green alternative, so we've gone back to fossil fuel.
"Currently you do get loads declined due to the network not being substantial enough. There are dead areas in the island where additional load will not be accepted."
Although the States of Guernsey has a plan for the island to be greener by 2050, people are keen to make the switch earlier and in some areas, the infrastructure just isn't ready yet.
Guernsey Electricity received 1,400 applications to switch last year with the vast majority being approved.
Some did require a network upgrade which involved digging up the surrounding area in order to connect the property to the main supply.
The cost of that would be an additional £1,500 on average and could result in waiting times of up to 9 months.
The utility company believes an increased awareness of where energy is coming from has resulted in a rise in applications to convert to electricity.
Jon Sexton from Guernsey Electricity says it is working to increase capacity: "We've got some huge infrastructure projects already in flight to reinforce the network.
"They're starting to increase the arterial routes into the system. But we've still got a lot of work to do in terms of developing the network at the lower levels so that we can continue to accept the loads onto the network that people are desiring."
A new cable, almost seven kilometres long, is currently being laid from substations in the north near the power station, all the way to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
The project will also bolster the network in the south of the island - meaning more areas there will be able to switch to electric heating.
Want to find out more about the stories making the headlines? Don't miss Channelcast - the Channel Islands current affairs podcast brought to you by ITV News: