The First and deputy First Minister are calling on NIE to issue emergency payments to customers left without power following Storm Eowyn. The ministers were speaking after an emergency Executive meeting on Monday.
As things stand, around 65,000 customers remain without power in Northern Ireland. Elsewhere, in Scotland, energy providers have announced up to a maximum of £2,000 compensation for those left without power for 48 hours or more.
Speaking in Stormont, the First and deputy First Minister said that they have both raised the issue of compensation with NIE.
"This has been a very difficult four days for many, many thousands of people throughout Northern Ireland," deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly said.
"We are very conscious that this is day four, and this morning there are still people without electricity, without access to water, without access to communications and internet.And that is an unacceptable position and we are doing everything in our power to push to try to get those connections made as quickly as possible."
On the issue of compensation, Ms Little Pengelly added: "We have also urged NIE to go away and consider our proposal for a goodwill payment.We understand that that is what's happening with energy companies in Scotland in relation to the same storm and we see no reason why this shouldn't happen here.
"So we are urging NIE to go away and consider that and come back to us very quickly with an indication of what they want to do, because we know that those people who are without electricity and water are suffering.
"Many of them have had to go out, eat out. They're not able to make food for their family within their homes, so there is a particular hardship. Food within refrigerators and freezers, etc is not being able to be used. So I think it is the right thing to do for NIE to step up and to do a goodwill payment and not wait for those further discussions in due course with the utility regulator or elsewhere."
First Minister Michelle O'Neill reiterated the calls for a payment and pointed to the profits made by energy companies.
She said: "We made the case very strongly to NIE this morning again that we believe that there should be a goodwill paymentbecause some people have had to buy food out all weekend.
"It's not acceptable coming towards the end of January, people could be struggling to get to towards the end of the month
"These companies have make significant profits every year...So we've made the case for them very strongly.We expect them to turn that response around very quickly so they can start to tell people that they can have that goodwill payment.
"These companies make significant profits every year and they should make sure they give that goodwill payment."
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