Energy boss: 'More could have been done'

The boss of UK Power Networks, which supplies eight million homes in the South East, has said that more could have been done in response to dealing with flood-hit Britain, according to the Mail on Sunday.

In an interview with the newspaper, Basil Scarsella said:

The Environment Agency has issued 14 flood warnings tonight, in which immediate action is required, after strong winds and heavy rain battered Britain over the Christmas period.

There are still 71 flood alerts in place, where flooding is possible, with the Southeast being the most affected.

After a freezing and frosty night - it'll be cold and bright into tomorrow morning with spells of dazzling winter sunshine all day for most.

It will turn windy and wet from the west by tomorrow night.

Read: Power woes continue as more rain expected

Energy regulator Ofgem said energy companies were obliged to do what they can to get people back on the grid as soon as possible. In a statement, the regulator said:

The comments come as approximately 3,000 people face yet another night with no electricity.

Read: Power woes continue as more rain expected

The leader of Kent County Council was angrily confronted today about the county's emergency plan following the storm damage earlier this week. Cllr Paul Carter visited Yalding the day after Prime Minister David Cameron was confronted in the same village about the lack of council services.

Click on the video above to watch the public confrontation.

Thousands of homes are still without power following the Christmas storms which swept Britain, as another band of heavy rain is set to bring the risk of further floods to parts of the country.

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) said 3,000 homes across the UK were without electricity, as one of the UK's biggest power distributors promised to almost triple compensation for customers affected.

UK Power Networks, which owns electricity lines and cables in London, the South East and east of England, said it will increase payments for 48 to 60-hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day as "a gesture of goodwill".

Additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

Thousands of households across the UK are still without power this evening, with some homes in the south of England enduring their fifth night without electricity.

This afternoon the government's emergency committee met to discuss the situation, as the Met Office warned of more heavy rain and wind for Monday.

Rags Martel reports from Kent, where David Cameron visited yesterday.

Read: Council 'did not take a blind bit of notice' before Cameron's visit

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) confirmed 350 homes remain without power in south-central England.

A spokeswoman said rural communities affected are in Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex where flooded ground has made access hard, but it is hoped electricity will be restored by the end of the day.

Homes in Cumbria are facing another night without power, as engineers work to reconnect more than one and a half thousand properties. Extra staff have been brought in to fix power lines damaged after gale force winds battered the region.

Electricity North West are working with the British Red Cross to look after vulnerable people, meanwhile Scottish Power say all customers in Dumfries and Galloway should be reconnected. At it's peak, thousands in southern Scotland were without power. Samantha Parker has the latest.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey says power companies' communication with customers has been "inconsistent, inaccurate" and sometimes "non-existent" during long-term power cuts following storms earlier this week.

Mr Davey's comments followed a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee to deal with the severe weather and floods.

More than 700,000 households have had their electricity supply disrupted due to storms and floods over the Christmas period. Some 3,000 are still waiting to get power again, the Energy Networks Association (ENA) said.

"We hope to have them reconnected by the end of tomorrow," Mr Davey told ITV News.