SO-CALLED brilliant energy distribution firm 24seven got away with £1.5million less than it had budgeted for when it offered compensation following October's storms.

SO-CALLED brilliant energy distribution firm 24seven got away with £1.5million less than it had budgeted for when it offered compensation following October's storms.

Today, the Ipswich-based giant admitted it had not budgeted for the payment and the £1.5m it saved would just be absorbed into its profits – and it could end up in the pockets of the French government!

The Evening Star revealed on Monday that only 5,000 of the 20,000 customers eligible for £100 compensation cheques had claimed their money during the three months it was available.

That meant the self-proclaimed brilliant company (motto: Brilliant people running world class utility services) is having to pay just £500,000 in compensation, rather than £2m.

But according to a statement issued today, that's just small change:

"LE Group (owners of 24seven) will be investing more than £120m in the electricity network it operates in East Anglia this year.

"No specific budget was ever set to cover the special storm payments 24seven offered to those customers who were continuously without a power supply from the storm until 10pm on October 31.

"Therefore, there is no surplus amount to be accounted for."

24seven is owned by the LE Group, which also owns London Electricity, Seeboard and SWEB.

LE Group itself is owned by Electricté de France, the nationalised French power company.

Its only shareholder – the only organisation to get any profits from it – is the French government.

WHAT OTHER LOCAL ORGANISATIONS MIGHT DO WITH £1.5m – see tonight's Evening Star