More than 4,000 Britons were still without electricity today, almost a week after a major storm blew down power lines across east England.
Energy Minister Mr Brian Wilson said that even though the weather last Sunday was exceptional, the delay in restoring power to thousands of homes in the eastern counties of Norfolk and Suffolk was unacceptable.
"It seems to me that after a week it is fairly extraordinary that there are still people, particularly in East Anglia, who have not yet been reconnected," Mr Wilson told Sky Television News.
Power companies have been criticised for refusing to pay compensation unless households can show they have suffered special hardship because of the power cuts.
The companies say that compensating all affected customers would deprive them of money to repair their damaged networks.
"Compensation is not something companies can make blanket statements about," said Mr Wilson, who has ordered a government inquiry into the electricity supply industry's response to the storm.
"The ultimate decision on compensation doesn't rest with the companies. It rests with the regulator."
