Race To Get Solar Panels Installed For Hundreds of Residents

Hundreds of council house tenants in Nottingham are in a race against time to get solar panels fitted. The panels would save some poorer residents about £120 a year on energy bills. Nottingham City Homes has already fitted free panels to nearly 600 homes in Aspley and Broxtowe Estate. It was due to carry out the work on 1,450 more homes by the end of March as part of a £10m project. NCH could then sell spare energy from these houses to the national grid. But the Government has said houses that do not have panels by December 12 will earn less for this spare electricity – 21p instead of 43p per unit. This means the project will not be financially viable for NCH, which now has less than six weeks to complete a five-month project. NCH boss Nick Murphy said: "We are still aiming to complete the entire programme originally promised to our tenants." Phil Angus, of Nottingham Energy Partnership, said the payment cut meant only "rich people who have got a spare £10,000" would be able to afford panels. He said: "These cuts were due but it's too much and too fast – it's a typical over-reaction."