Jersey Gas is a private company, but has been left out of the scheme launched to help local businesses.
This prompted a union to appeal to the government to include the utility, and the company itself has been locked in discussions with ministers.
Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said in the States Assembly last week that the government was doing due diligence before any financial assistance was offered.
Ian Plenderleith, group managing director for the Islands Energy Group, said: ‘Talks are still ongoing at the moment.Those discussions are continuing.
‘Things can’t stretch on too much longer but hopefully we can get something sorted out.’
Deputy Geoff Southern has launched a proposition for the utility company to be added to the payroll scheme. However, his proposition will not be debated until 12 May.
Mr Plenderleith has also addressed concerns expressed by a customer in a letter to the JEP, which stated that changes to charges could mean some bills increasing by around 16.5%.
The letter from Islander Mike Keeping,which is published on page 14, said: ‘I cannot imagine the hardship that this will cause come the winter months for the pensioners, low paid and all those unfortunate people who, through no fault of their own, have now found themselves out of work as a result of the pandemic.
‘This is morally reprehensible and Jersey Gas must be made to cease these punitive tariffs forthwith pending a government inquiry once this virus crisis is over and Jersey, and indeed the rest of the world, has had a chance to take stock of their shattered economies.’
However, Mr Plenderleith said this was not the case and the changes that had been made to standing charges and daily rates were reverting to the previous method of how Jersey Gas used to charge.
He said: ‘Before I started we had a lower unit rate and a high standing charge.
‘Then we changed that about three years ago, and it was very unpopular, because people were paying higher rates in summer despite not using much gas.
‘So we’ve put the unit rate back to what it was before, which gives customers better control over their bill.’
