London - A pensioner in Northern Ireland who lived without electricity for 27 years has been told that he will be charged 67,000 pounds (102,000 dollars) to be connected to the energy network, it was reported Thursday.

John McCarter, 74, from County Londonderry, north of Belfast, who survived in his idyllic seaside cottage on bottled gas and candles, said his bones were "starting to feel the cold now."

But with a weekly pension of 100 pounds he would not be able to meet the installation bill.

The Northern Ireland electricity board said it had a policy of offering the most equitable arrangement for customers.

But in the case of McCarter's cottage an underground cable would have to be laid and costs were "associated with this length of undergrounding." (dpa)