NORTHERN Ireland Electricity was under fire last night for disconnecting 12 times as many customers as the UK average.

A report from the electricity watchdog said the size of the difference over the last year was not acceptable.

The Office for the Regulation of Electricity and Gas - OFREG - said that although there had been a 155 per cent reduction in disconnections in 1995/96 - it still amounted to 38 per 100,000 compared with the average of three for Britain.

"While there might be some mitigating circumstances, in particular the privatisation of NIE and its different connection policy, a differential of this magnitude in not acceptable," said the report.

The study also found that NIE, which reported its highest ever pretax profit of £107.4 million last year, made 944 compensation payments, up 54 per cent from the previous year.

Among a number of key standards set by OFREG was notice of planning interruption, which NIE failed to meet on 665 occasions, an increase of 64 per cent in the year.

And while the number of complaints per 100,000 customers was lower in Northern Ireland than elsewhere - 18.9 compared to 29 - complaints rose by 8 per cent over the year, with a 30 per cent jump in the last three months.

But NIE defended itself saying it exceeded performance targets in 10 out of 11 categories in the second half of 1995/96, achieving 100 per cent success in six.

Supply director, Mr Walter McClay, said: "We've had a 99.93 per cent success rate in providing 1.4 million separate guaranteed services, a 55 per cent reduction in disconnections from the previous - year and a much lower level of customer complaints than GB counterparts."

He said the earlier privatisation of companies in Britain meant they shad longer experience of operating standards.

Tomorrow is the deadline by which NIE must respond to the regulator's request that it reduce tariffs by 31 per cent from next April, cutting some £40 off the average household bill.

NIE has said the price control would have serious implications for its resources - but a failure the comply could bring a referral to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.