Network Services
With work towards the Energy Transition underway and the Electricity Strategy Policy direction now set and agreed in principle, Guernsey Electricity have moved forward in creating a new groundworks team to undertake capital investment works.
The new team will facilitate an increase of Guernsey Electricity's overall capacity for the delivery of projects.
This is a positive step for the business and our island. It will allow Guernsey Electricity to accelerate its delivery plans whilst increasing capabilities. It further enables development of services in preparation for delivery of the Electricity Strategy and future anticipated on-Island requirements.
When the original mobile phone and internet networks were built over 20 years ago, they were not designed to support the boom of smart phones and broadband usage we see today.
In the same way, the first electricity cable network in Guernsey was installed in 1900. While it has developed substantially since then, it was not designed for all of today’s changes as we aim for a low carbon future.
The underground cable network across Guernsey is being, and will continue to be, replaced and upgraded on a continual, rolling basis. Our hundreds of electricity substations and fusing points across the Island are being replaced, upgraded and modernised and furthermore supplemented by additional substations in either heavily populated or remote areas to be fit for the future electricity demand and needs.
Our underground network
The evolution of the way we use energy will deliver significant environmental benefits for our Island and our economy. Guernsey Electricity remains focused and committed to appropriately planning for these future electricity needs but to get there, we must continue the concerted effort to ensure our network is fit for Guernsey’s electric future.
Guernsey Electricity use forecasting software to give an indication of the loads expected each day. Once we have reached the maximum we can import from our sub-sea cable, we will use our on-island generation plant to top up and meet the remaining requirement. Our long-term planning and forecasting ensures that we have the correct balance of interconnectors and generators to maintain secure and affordable supplies for the island.
Our long term aim is to meet the islands needs from sustainable and renewable sources.
We import over 90% of our electricity annually from renewable sources in Europe including hydro, wind and solar power via a sub-sea cable.
The rest of the island's demand is topped up using on-island diesel generation at the Vale power station and community solar arrays.
A supply line cable is the underground cable that specifically connects your property to the wider electricity network.
This is how you receive all the electricity you use to power everything electrical in your property - WiFi, washing machines, games consoles, ovens, TVs- and if your supply line cable is "old", it may need upgrading to power your future.
Some of the island's cables were installed many years ago when properties were far less reliant on electricity to power their lives. This means that some supply line cables do not have sufficient capacity (are not "big enough") to power homes that wish to add new electrical appliances to their properties that consume a lot of electricity.
For example, a washing machine may consume 1.3kW of power per hour. Comparatively, a fast electric car charging unit may consume 7kW, a hot tub 7.5kW, and a heating system 23kW*. These appliances demand far more from your supply line cable than it was originally designed for if it has not recently been upgraded.
How can I reduce my demand on the cable?
- Energy efficient appliances which need less electricity to do the same job
- Insulating your property will reduce the amount of heat your heating system needs to replace
- Consider an electric air source heat pump
*these power consumptions are estimates only may vary