A green scheme to save local council tenants cash on energy bills was welcomed today by MP Grant Shapps.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council teamed up with energy company eaga to provide new solar panels to around 1,000 houses in the borough. Whilst eaga is footing the bill, the savings on electricity costs will be passed on to local tenants.

The scheme can be paid for because ‘Feed-In-Tariffs’ allow surplus energy to go back to the energy company, effectively turning each house into a mini renewable energy power station. Welwyn Hatfield is one of the biggest council house landlords in the country, so the move will mean a big cut in carbon emissions.

The first tenants in Welwyn Hatfield to benefit were Mr & Mrs Denmark who live in Hardings, Panshanger. The pensioner couple said they were “delighted” to have had the PV panels fitted and that the work was completed in just one day.

Grant Shapps, who is also Shadow Housing Minister, said he welcomed the new scheme:

“This is exactly the sort of practical approach we’re looking to unroll across the country. Too many people think that everyone has to make sacrifices to be greener, but this pioneering scheme shows that isn’t true.

“David Cameron was talking about Feed-In-Tariffs back in 2006. He pointed out that we can all be less reliant on foreign oil and regain some costs by turning our homes into power sources through solar panels and other technologies. So I’m really glad to see this approach being used now here in Welwyn Hatfield.”

The solar panels are already being installed on Welwyn Hatfield housing. All council housing which is suitable for the panels will receive them, starting with 80 and rising to 1,000 by the end of the year.

ENDS
More info:
Grant Shapps on 01707 262632

Editors’ Notes:

•    eaga Director of Strategy John Swinney said: “Our Clean Energy Programme is the first of its kind and is attracting interest from many local authorities and housing groups looking to help their tenants and meet tough carbon-cutting targets. Working with organisations as forward-thinking and proactive as Welwyn & Hatfield means we are also looking to recruit and train renewable energy engineers locally as the programme grows.