Council tenants could get lower electricity bills

Electricity bills could be cut for up to 3,000 council house tenants in Shropshire under new plans.

Shropshire Council's cabinet has agreed to apply for an initial loan of £9 million to install solar panels on the roofs of thousands of properties owned by the authority.

Bosses say tenants will benefit by receiving vastly reduced, or even free, electricity.

Councillor Mal Price said the scheme would bring in cash and allow the authority to benefit from payments under the feed-in-tariff system.

He told the cabinet meeting it was a 'win-win situation' for all parties.

A report to the cabinet said tenants could slash energy bills by half in some cases. It said the council had placed a tender notice to create a framework of installers of solar panels on council-owned buildings.

It says: "The tender included the potential of up to 3,000 council housing properties."