Bridgnorth pensioner's 'outrage' at solar panel rejection

Frank Taylor said he cannot understand why his housing association will not let him put solar panels on his house to cut his energy bill

A man says it is "outrageous" his housing association will not install solar panels to help cut energy costs.

Frank Taylor, who is in his 70s, lives in social housing near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and said his bill has more than tripled in the past year.

He approached his association, Bromford, but they turned him down.

The group said it was "committed to making our homes more energy efficient" and was due to install new windows at Mr Taylor's home.

Mr Taylor, who only uses electricity at his home, said he had been paying £1,200-£1,300 annually but the rising price cap has seen it pass £4,000 this year.

With further rises expected this winter, he said his bill will be "light years beyond my capabilities".

Low energy light bulbs have been installed and Mr Taylor only switches on his immersion heater once a week, but this will change in the coming months.

"When the heating comes on, it is the time when I use the most electricity," he said.

Bromford said it had carefully considered Mr Taylor's request to install solar panels

When Bromford turned him down, Mr Taylor said they told him they had rejected similar enquiries from other residents.

"That is outrageous. People like me are facing a crisis and we are all facing a climate crisis and it behoves us all to do our bit," Mr Taylor said.

He said he had seen other housing associations install them and "there is an enormous saving involved".

In Shropshire, Wrekin Housing installed solar panels for dozens of its residents amid the soaring cost of energy bills.

Bromford said it had consider Mr Taylor request carefully and had finished work over the past year on more than 1,500 homes to improve their energy efficiency.

"We are due to install new windows at Mr Taylor's home and hope to complete that work shortly," a spokesman said.