The Long Island Island Power Authority has cut jobs while hiking the compensation packages for nearly two dozen of its top employees, angering some of the utility's customers.

A Newsday report says more than half of LIPA's staff are making six-figure salaries. Average compensation just jumped for the agency's 22 top-paid employees, from $154,000 in 2014 to almost $170,000 in 2015 - an increase of 10 percent.

LIPA officials refused to comment on camera, but pointed out that it has the lowest payroll and fewest employees since it was created more than 30 years ago. They added that some employees earned more by working through vacations.

PSEG Long Island took over most of LIPA's operations two years ago. LIPA says the average customer spends only $2 per year for its 40 or so remaining employees.

Critics say LIPA can crunch the numbers all it wants. The bottom line, they say, is that it is still paying too many people too much money.

LIPA tells News 12 that its rates are the lowest among all comparable utilities in the region.