NORTHERN Ireland Electricity needs to give greater priority to consumer interests, according to Ms Nuala O'Loan, chairman of Northern Ireland Consumer Committee for Electricity. She said electricity costs are still too high and stressed that "this increase in profits clearly indicates that there is scope for a reduction in electricity costs, well beyond the 10.4 per cent recommended by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission".

Partly echoing these sentiments, the electricity regulator, Mr Douglas McIldoon asked: "Have customers received value for money and has NIE provided added value for money for the £400 million profits over the first price control period?". It was time for everyone to look at the balance sheet, he added, and "ask what customers had received in return for the £2 billion paid in electricity bills since privatisation".