Islanders need to make sure they follow three golden rules and a set of simple checks before using any building firms to repair any damage to their properties caused by Storm Ciarán. It follows a number of calls the Jersey Consumer Council has received about using non-Jersey based contractors. However, the below rules and checks should be used for all building firms – local or not. Firstly, you should not have to pay any business to provide you with a quote. If a firm is insisting on payment up front before even visiting your property, you should see this as a red flag and go elsewhere. Secondly, do not make any up-front payments to non-Jersey firms, as there will be very little chance of you recovering any monies if the business returns to the UK before starting the work. The third golden rule is to make sure that you have some kind of contract or written agreement in place before the work starts. This will help cover you in case the work is unsatisfactory or incomplete. There are some other checks you can do before you engage a building firm to work on your property: Try and check if the tradesman has the correct and relevant qualifications and credentials Have a contract between you and the tradesman before the work is started. This should give the costs, timelines and if they will provide a warranty Make sure of their health and safety procedures Try to get some references of previous work Try a simple Google check of the builder – websites such as www.checkatrade.com contain lots of reviews on builders. And to clarify, there is nothing wrong with using off-Island tradesman to undertake emergency repair work as the Government has relaxed the laws to allow off-island contractors to work in Jersey for the next month or so. These tradesmen can only be employed to work on your home if they’ve been contracted by you in advance. If you have concerns or questions, contact: Government of Jersey Business Hub on 444444 Trading Standards on 448160 Or, for reports of suspicious activity, the States of Jersey Police on 612612

We’re getting lots of questions about insurance claims after Storm Ciarán. So, here are some tips you may find useful, both for now and for future considerations about what kind of insurance cover you might need, as well as advice if your insurer isn’t paying out. Vehicles: To successfully claim for damage to your vehicle from a storm, you need to have a fully comprehensive insurance policy. This should also entitle you to a loan car during the repairs. Unfortunately, third party cover only covers damage your car makes to others. Buildings: Buildings Insurance will cover storm damage to your home. It should also cover any permanent fixtures and fittings, such as kitchens, doors, windows etc.  They should also cover accommodation costs during home repairs. Most policies exclude fences, sheds, and outhouses. Home contents: Contents insurance (not buildings insurance) covers all the moveable items in your home, such as furniture, electronic items, clothes and jewellery. There is usually a cap on single item values and large excesses. It will also cover emergency purchases, such as clothes. Carpets and flooring can be covered in either buildings or contents insurance, so you'll need to check your policies. Insurance complaint: If your insurer isn’t paying out and you think you have a strong case, ask for their complaints policy and follow their appeals process. If it's still no good, advise them that you’re taking the matter to the relevant ombudsman, which will vary depending on where your insurer is based. As most insurance companies are based in the UK, most will be regulated by the UK Financial Ombudsman. However, some will be regulated by the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman Service. Your insurer will be able to tell you who your ombudsman authority is, so you know who to appeal to.  Rental: If you’re in rental accommodation your landlord should be covered under their buildings insurance policy to cover the cost of temporary accommodation. You should not have to bear the cost. However, you will need contents insurance to claim for any of your personal belongings. Contact us: And finally, if you're in any doubt or having problems with your insurer, please contact the Jersey Consumer Council who will happily advise you on the best course of action. Email us on contact@consumercouncil.je or call 611161.

The Jersey Consumer Council welcomes Island Energy’s announcement that it will be compensating Islanders for the lack of gas service this month. It follows our calls for the gas provider to act responsibly and fairly to its customers in terms of compensation, and take on board the guidance and advice it would be operating under if it was regulated by the UK energy watchdog Ofgem. The full details of the compensation are yet to be revealed but it seems there will be a difference in compensation for business owners (made on a case by case basis) and for domestic gas customers. Ofgem states that £60 per day after the first 24 hours of a loss of service is reasonable compensation, so the Consumer Council will be watching with interest what the final offer to customers will be.  Speaking to the local media, Jo Cox, CEO of Island Energy, said: "We are very sorry for the continuing disruption a small number of customers are facing, but can confirm that the majority of our customers are now fully restored. "We are fully aware of the disruption of supply that all our customers have had to deal with over the last week or so and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused." Regarding compensation, Mrs Cox added: "We will be getting communication out next week with details of our plans – exact amounts have yet to be calculated but when we have been able to confirm what we can do, the payment will most likely be automatically applied to customers’ accounts." You can read more about it on the Island Energy website: Payments for customers following gas supply disruption (islandenergy.je)

Jersey Water has announced that their bills will be rising from the start of next year. From 1 January 2024, water bills for average Jersey households will increase by 12 pence per day – representing an extra £44.91 a year for average domestic customers. It follows the news, in June, that Jersey Electricity will be increasing their prices by 12 per cent from the start of the new year. Jersey Water says that the change in tariff for next year is in line with inflation and follows their policy of limiting increases in water charges, wherever possible, to at or below the cost of living. Helier Smith, Jersey Water’s Chief Executive, said that 2024’s tariff increase is ‘proportionate and necessary to address these rising operational costs, while also ensuring that the company can maintain vital investment in the Island’s water supply infrastructure’. He said: “We remain mindful that many Islanders are also experiencing pressure on their own cost of living, so we have done all we can to offset the increases in our operational costs and limit what is passed onto our customers. "At the same time, we need to maintain our water charges at appropriate levels to ensure Jersey Water can continue to deliver the high-quality water supply and service levels that customers expect, whilst maintaining investment in the Island’s water resources, network, treatment facilities and other infrastructure to ensure a sustainable water supply for current and future generations.” Jersey Water has committed to making no further price increases for the rest of 2024. Any customers who are facing financial hardship and are struggling to pay their water bills are encouraged to contact Jersey Water’s Customer Services team, who are on hand to provide advice and guidance. Any Islanders who wish to reduce their water consumption to help manage their bills can find more information and free water-saving devices on Jersey Water’s website, where you can also download the GetWaterFit app, an online tool for finding out how you use and can save water at home.

You may have heard that certain insurance providers are pulling out of the Channel Islands due to a change of the law in Gibraltar. This law change has indeed reduced the number of motor insurers who will provide cover in Jersey. We've done some research and have compiled a list of those insurers still offering business to the Channel Islands. This is the list of insurers (accurate as of September 2023):  Accredited Insurance (Europe) Limited Ageas Insurance Limited Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance UK Limited Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company of Europe Limited Allianz Global Corporate & Speciality SE Allianz Insurance Plc American International Group UK Limited (AIG UK Limited) Assurant General Insurance Limited Aviva Insurance Limited AXA Insurance UK Plc AXA XL Insurance Company UK Limited CHUBB European Group Limited Churchill Insurance Company Limited Covea Insurance Plc Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Plc Great Lakes Insurance SE Great Lakes Insurance UK Ltd Gresham Insurance Company Limited HCC International Insurance Company Plc Highway Insurance Company Limited Hiscox Insurance Company Limited Insurance Corporation of the Channel Islands Limited Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited MS Amlin Insurance SE National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited QBE Europe SA/NV QBE UK Limited RAC Insurance Limited Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Plc The Prudential Assurance Company Limited Tradex Insurance Company Ltd Travelers Insurance Company Limited Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company UK Insurance Limited White Horse Insurance Ireland Designated Activity Company XL Insurance Company SE Zurich Insurance Company Ltd When looking for insurance, always remember to compare prices to get the best deal for you. Your insurance broker – such as Rossborough, Islands Insurance, Jersey Mutual, or Channel Insurance Brokers – might be able to help you with this.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been contacted by many of you who wanted us to investigate why you are not able to receive goods from UK retailers that had previously delivered to Jersey.  We took your concerns to Jersey Post and asked them to answer your questions. Here’s what they told us… Q: Is it correct that Jersey has been reclassified from a 'Domestic' area to ‘International’? A: Jersey is no longer classed as ‘Domestic’, but it still enjoys the advantages of UK rates and has not been reclassified as ‘International’.   Q: Please could you clarify when and why the classification change was made? A: The reclassification was to allow two things: 1) moving ‘due date’ by one day and this facilitated the removal of the mail plane. In the previous ‘domestic’ scheme, the ‘due date’ was next day. 2) to allow pre-advice, which both Royal Mail and Jersey Post need for customs manifesting and to plan operational processing.   Q: What is the difference in the price of postage from the UK to Jersey, as an International postal area? A: The price of postage from the UK to Jersey has not changed. This will be a matter for Royal Mail going forward and their price reviews usually happen at the end of each year for implementation in the new year.   Q: Will this change mean that some retailers will now not deliver to Jersey? A: There is absolutely no reason why retailers shouldn’t be delivering to Jersey and Jersey Post are very happy to support UK retailers if they are having difficulties.   Q: What else does this mean for Jersey? Are there wider implications to this reclassification, such as online shopping, online applications, competitions, insurance etc.? A: There are no such implications.   Thank you Jersey Post, for taking the time to answer these questions.  If any UK retailers tell you they're unable to deliver to Jersey due the reclassification, you may wish to share the information in this article with them, or let us know.