Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is to make payments to around 850 customers who were cut off during the recent cold snap.

About 140,000 people across Northern Ireland were affected by power cuts following severe snowfalls and ice storms.

The utility regulator agreed an exemption on its normal rules on providing customers with compensation and would make payments of £100 to customers still without power on Easter Sunday.

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John French, Head of Energy at the Consumer Council of Northern Ireland has welcomed the move: "The Consumer Council commends NIE for its robust approach in getting its customers back on supply following the havoc caused by the recent ice storm.

"The damage to power lines across Northern Ireland was extensive and unprecedented, yet getting the supply back on to almost 140,000 households affected and particularly the most vulnerable was always NIE's priority.

"We understand that NIE has no legal responsibility to compensate customers in these unique circumstances. However, the £100 goodwill payment being issued is a necessary measure given the hardship experienced by those customers off supply for almost six days."

(NS/GK)