About 3,000 homes in the North were still without electricity yesterday following more stormy weather. Work to repair damage to power lines was hampered by gales and heavy winds.
Among the places still cut off were Lisburn, Co Antrim; Craigavon, Co Armagh; and Dungannon and Omagh, Co Tyrone. Northern Ireland Electricity said it hoped to have had power restored to all its customers by midnight.
Many of NIE's 500 engineers have been on duty since St Stephen's Day. The company yesterday increased its compensation payment for customers whose supply was cut off for more than 24 hours from £50 to £65. It is also possible for customers whose freezer contents were damaged and who are not entitled to payment through their normal household insurance to make a claim against NIE.
NIE's customer services general manager, Mr Colin Fallon, said that in the past four days NIE had carried out the equivalent of three or four months' work.
The company has set up a call centre for people with special needs so that resources can be prioritised to assist the sick and disabled.