Electricity customers in Northern Ireland will save £50m (€57m) a year as part of a shake-up threatening almost 300 jobs.

Northern Ireland households were today handed a 3% cut in their electricity bills.

An environmental pressure group tonight called for a full government inquiry after the North’s largest power station was granted planning permission to install pollution control equipment.

A £35m (€52.3m) investment is being made in the Kilroot power station in Co Antrim to enable it to meet tough new EU environmental emission regulations, it was announced today.