03/02/2012 BBC Channel Islands News

Welcome to your BBC in the Channel Islands. The top stories: Rising

costs of fossil fuels prompts more people to grow electric, but are

the prices we being charged for oil fare? Plus, the battle to keep our

children safe Online, one mother's story. And the earliest crop of

Jersey Royals ever, now the potatoes join designer handbags as

Selfridges start a waiting list for With the cold snap up on us, many

Channel Islanders will be thinking about their heating bills, but are

you getting value for money? The competition watchdog has announced

it will be monitoring any further price increases in domestic heating

oil. Beckie Williams has been to meet an islander who made the

Living in a large house, Sarah Johnson has always relied on a oil

to eat her home, but when her bills kept going up, she decided to

switch to electricity. Definitely, the bills that come in, you can see

the difference, not a huge difference, but a marginal

difference between the tier, and electricity is cheaper. The oil

company says there is still high demand, even though the cost in

Jersey is higher than in the UK. That is because we have additional

charges bringing fuel into Jersey and onward distribution that are

quite significantly different to the UK. Nonetheless, the Ireland's

competition watchdog is worried that customers are not getting

value for money. They want the industry regulator. -- the island.

And it is not just Sarah who is changing suppliers. Daniel and his

team were on the road early this morning to fit an electrical boiler

at this house. Jersey Electricity has seen a 30% increase in the

number of people wanting to switch from gas and oil. In fact, the

waiting list for a consultation is now several weeks. There have been

a huge increase in calls for electric heating system is driven

by the competitive price of electricity at the moment. This is

the third winter with no tariff increase, and that has come at a

time when oil and gas prices have gone up by over 60%. Let's take a

closer look at the prices companies charged in Jersey. We have looked

at the average cost for a three- Electricity prices may well go up

in April, but with diminishing supplies of oil and gas worldwide,

could even more islanders switch to There has been a further increase

in unemployment in Guernsey. It has risen by almost a third since this

time last year, and there are now 400 people out of work,

representing 1.2% of the population. Hospital managers are to meet

regularly to discuss problems with patient care following the death of

a woman last year after she was discharged from Jersey's General

Hospital. Doctors treating Susan Smith, who was 57, for suspected

gallstones did not realise she had severe liver disease. Her liver was

not able to process the mix of drugs she was prescribed after she

was discharged. She collapsed within hours of leaving hospital

and died. And Jersey's health officials are

ageing islanders who have had metal on metal hip replacements to

contact the general hospital for an examination. This follows a recall

by UK regulators of a brand of metal hip replacements. It has been

found that when it wears down, it releases shards into the

surrounding joint. Now, are you doing enough to

protect your children when they go online? The senior representative

from the Social Network website this book is going to be in

Guernsey tomorrow to tell parents how they could do more. To mark say

they into their day, an internet -- event is being held -- to mark

Safer Internet Day, an event is being held at Beau Sejour. Keeping

a close eye on her son as he interacts with the outside world,

Erica once her children to embrace technology, but she is very worried

about what and who is online. think the terrifying thing is

children do not filter information that they give out. If anyone says,

where do you live? They would give out their address, they are eager

to please. They want to be popular, so they would give out anything,

won't they? Insuring children are safe online is something Guernsey

authorities are taking very seriously. -- ensuring. They

represented the park Facebook is visiting Beau Sejour tomorrow to

explain to parents what they should be doing to protect their children.

-- a representative of Facebook. You do not know what you do not

know. Many parents do not know about the environment their

children are operating in. You might learn enough to be able to

put a valuable foothold back into their online world. And do what you

do best as parents, which is be able to help your child manage and

negotiate that environment. We are safe in Guernsey, aren't we? But we

are talking about the worldwide web, and that is what terrifies me,

everything out there. You are exposed to the whole world, not

just Guernsey. I think it is just realising that children as Zheng as

five and six to have Facebook accounts. In Guernsey! They just

give out all their information. wager that interact with technology

changes rapidly, and it may seem overwhelming to adults, but being

aware of privacy settings and restricting access are some things

you can do to ensure your children And next Tuesday BBC Guernsey and

BBC Radio Jersey will be taking part in a campaign to promote

online safety for young people. It took firefighters four hours to

deal with a blaze in Guernsey today. The alarm was raised just before 10

o'clock when a bonfire burned out of control on a site at St Peter's.

Three fire engines were said to the scene, along with officers from

environmental health. No-one was injured and there was no damage to

surrounding property. You are watching the BBC in the

Channel Islands, late in Spotlight, do you know what a galanthophile

is? There is more and more of them, and they are dedicated to a tiny

Sports News now, and Guernsey rugby club travel to England tomorrow to

take on 8th place Beckenham. They are currently in second place in

the League, five points behind Chichester and one ahead of Old

Elthamians. And guess CSC will be hoping for an upturn in their

fortunes when they return to Footes Lane tomorrow. -- Guernsey at sea.

The Green Lions have suffered a postponement and a defeat recently,

but they enjoy a seven-point lead at the head of Combined Counties

League Division One. Tomorrow they take on 12th place Frimley Green,

they beat 5-0 in August. Kick-off is at 3 o'clock.

And Guernsey's Heather Watson and her doubles partner, Laura Robson,

of the heroes of the GB tennis team after they defeated a Dutch pairing

in straight sets to win their second match in two days. They

secured the victory in straight sets.

Now, the potato has joined the ranks of expensive designer

handbags the Ulster Harp customers wanting to be the first to snap up

Jersey Royals can put their name on a waiting list at Selfridges. The

crop is likely to be the earliest yet, the mild winter has brought

them on early, as Rachel Royce reports. Cosseted through the

winter, the first Jersey Royals could reach the shops in one week.

It will be the earliest yet in the potatoes 130 year history and is a

source of great excitement. crop is not really at a stage where

you will see a lot of tubers, but the foliage itself is very mature,

probably two weeks more. The Jersey Royals are hampered throughout

their crowing lives, and plan the ban hand-picked, they are able to

soak up the sun on the south-facing slopes. -- and planted and hand-

picked. But a waiting list at Selfridges? Can they be serious?

have never come across it before. I have never heard of it for

vegetables. We have seen it with other things, but the Jersey Royal

is so sought after in the UK, and we are building on that excitement,

giving us an opportunity, and we are spreading the word that they

are soon to arrive in the UK. Jersey Royals are the island's

biggest crop exports worth �30 million a year. The early start to

the season has given growers a bus, but the chances of a repeat

performance next year are as predictable as the weather.

Well, it was a mild winter, wasn't it? Let's find out what is in store.

Good evening. Still very cold across the Channel Islands tonight,

but a change through the day tomorrow as mild air finally begins

to reappear. It will bring rain as well, and perhaps briefly a little

sleet coming in ahead of that band of rain later in the day tomorrow.

What we have at the moment is high pressure, a cold night to come,

then two weather systems from the north-west will slowly make

progress towards us. Not really a riding until much later in the day,

but it will cloud over and we will start to see sleet and rain turning

up towards the end of the afternoon. By the time we get into Sunday, we

are between two weather systems, slightly less cold air, and we will

see brighter weather on Sunday before patchy rain returns on

Monday. Tonight, like the last couple of nights, a widespread

overnight frost, winds from the north-east at temperatures down to

zero. Tomorrow, some brightness in the morning at least, but clouding

over through the day, and by the afternoon we will start to see some

patchy light rain or sleet at the from me northwest. A slow process

as that arrives, temperatures recovering to four, maybe five

degrees to end the day. On to the coastal waters forecast, the winds

of Variable becoming southeasterly, four, increasing five, fine but

patchy rain later, visibility mainly good. The times of high

water at St Helier. Not much of the servers, maybe two feet and clean

or flat for the most of our beaches. As we move into Sunday, bright and

dry, some sunny spells. It is slightly warmer, Six degrees, we

lose that really dry cold air from the east. A breeze from the north,

on Monday third outbreaks of patchy rain arriving, six or seven degrees

is the top temperature. -- her that outbreaks. Tuesday, starting to get

Finally, organisers of a new folklore festival in Jersey have

confirmed Joan Armatrading will perform at the event. The festival

is being launched by the team behind the Jersey life Bestival and

will feature a mix of performances. Joan Armatrading is a three-time