Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has announced plans to develop stronger protections for electricity customers left without power during severe weather in Northern Ireland.
In a Written Ministerial Statement to the Assembly, the Minister updated members on the Utility Regulator’s review of Electricity Guaranteed Standards of Service regulations, including the question of payments for consumers affected by weather-related outages.
The issue follows Storm Éowyn in January 2025, when more than 285,000 homes and businesses across the region lost electricity supply. Under the current regulations, payments could not be made because of a severe weather exemption.
The Utility Regulator has completed its review and has advised that it is not proposing changes to the existing severe weather exemption at this time. The Minister said she had instructed officials to bring forward policy proposals to remove the exemption while minimising costs for all consumers.
The Department for the Economy said detailed proposals would be brought forward within this mandate. The Minister said improving the resilience of the electricity network remained the priority, but that customers who experienced prolonged power outages as a result of severe weather should receive a support payment.
The department also noted that NIE Networks is making significant investment in the electricity network to strengthen resilience, with the aim of reducing the frequency and duration of power interruptions during severe weather events.