Fuel Duty Relief Proposed in Alderney
An Alderney politician has proposed a relief on fuel duty to alleviate the impact of rising fuel prices on the island.
Alderney States Member Alex Snowdon has urged the island's government to investigate the possibility of reducing the current duty imposed on fuel imports.
On Monday, the price of unleaded fuel in Alderney was £2.30 per litre, while diesel cost £2.58 per litre, ranking Alderney among the most expensive locations for petrol in the British Isles.
Dave Cranwell, owner of Dave's Little Garage in Alderney, attributed the price surge to the conflict in the Middle East, stating that it has "completely affected" fuel prices.
"It is the highest I've ever known it and we have no control over it."
The RAC Fuel Watch reports the highest unleaded price in the UK as £1.82 per litre and diesel at £2.00 per litre.
Simon Williams, Head of Policy at the RAC, described petrol prices in Alderney as "incredibly high."
Fuel Duty Rates and Government Revenue
Snowdon explained that Alderney typically follows the fuel duty increases set by the States of Guernsey. However, he noted that the States of Alderney has the authority to set a lower fuel duty if it chooses.
He added that the States of Alderney collected £465,000 in fuel duty revenue last year.
Currently, the fuel duty rate in Guernsey and Alderney is 90.5p per litre, which is higher than the rates in the UK (52.95p) and Jersey (64p).
Snowdon further commented on the potential need for income support if fuel prices continue to rise significantly.
"We need to see how bad this gets, and if it does get really, really bad, then there may be a question about how much income support there is for people that are really struggling on the island."
Impact on Local Businesses
Alexandra Rotaru, proprietor of The Blonde Hedgehog Hotel, expressed concerns about the effects of high fuel prices on local businesses.
"It does worry everybody because if expenses go up all businesses will be affected, and it might even be the end for some of the small businesses here,"
"It's quite scary from a business point of view and a personal point of view."
Fuel Supply and Pricing Challenges
Alderney Electricity serves as the primary wholesaler of fuel on the island, receiving shipments from the UK via Guernsey before distributing to the two petrol garages on Alderney.
Chris MacGregor, managing director of Alderney Electricity, reported that the company is currently paying 50% more to its fuel supplier compared to January.
"We are trying our very best to become more effective and efficient as a business so that we can bring in more revenue outside the fuel sales and actually keep the fuel prices as low as we possibly can."
MacGregor emphasized the need for Alderney to accelerate its transition to renewable energy to reduce dependence on oil.
"The conflict in the Middle East has shown us very starkly over the past couple of weeks quite how vulnerable we are as an island to those global oil shocks.
For our own reliability and self-sufficiency, and to reduce that vulnerability, we need to move to renewables."
Shift to Electric Vehicles in Alderney
Guernsey Post, which operates the postal service in Alderney, has begun transitioning to electric vehicles, with four of its six vehicles in Alderney already electric.
Niall Mc Swiggan, chief financial officer at Guernsey Post, highlighted the financial benefits of this shift.
"The cost-benefit in Alderney has already been realised.
Because the price of diesel is so high, the Alderney vehicles' payback period has been accelerated."
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