Solar panels for council houses in Cambridgeshire and Norwich

Council house tenants in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk are to benefit from a scheme to cut fuel bills by installing solar panels on roofs.

South Cambridgeshire District Council and Norwich City Council both plan to lease roofs to solar energy companies.

The companies pay for installation and sell unused or excess energy to the National Grid.

The councils will receive income from roof rentals and both say tenants could save up to £200 per year on fuel bills.

Pilot scheme

South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) ran a pilot scheme in the spring and is now offering all its council house tenants the opportunity to have the panels fitted.

The council will carry out surveys to determine which roofs are suitable for the installation.

SCDC estimates annual roof rental income could amount to £100,000 per year over the next 25 years.

It said the money would be reinvested "to introduce other energy-efficient initiatives in our homes".

Norwich City Council leader, Brenda Arthur, said: "We're making a small amount of money out of this initiative so we'll be able to look at other ways of making sure that homes unsuited to solar panels are made easier to heat efficiently."