Mansfield District Council tenants are being offered the chance to have solar panels installed on their homes which could help cut their fuel bills by up to £200 a year.

Letters are being sent out in batches, with more than 1,000 being sent so far, inviting householders to have the panels installed, following a desktop survey. Letters will go out to remaining tenants over the next few weeks.

The work will be done by Solarplicity, which will now carry out a property survey to ensure the homes of tenants interested in the project are suited to benefiting from solar panels.

Tenants have to agree to the work before it can be carried out and can opt out of having the work done. However those who agree, could see their electricity bills fall by up to £200 per year from the use of the free electricity being generated.

For properties deemed suitable by a Solarplicity surveyor, a date to install the panels – usually two weeks after the survey – will be agreed with the tenants.

The council is aiming for between 1,000 and 2,000 homes to have panels installed over the coming months.

Suitability depends on a number of factors including location, roof orientation and roof condition, surrounding trees or other buildings.

The cost of installation is covered by Solarplicity, so there will be no cost to the tenant. Solarplicity will also maintain the panels and pick up all the associated costs. In return, the company takes an income generated by the panels, which have a lifespan of 20 years.

Cllr Barry Answer, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “This project is a win-win-win scheme for everyone.

“Tenants will benefit from lower energy bills, the installation company will benefit from income from the energy generated by the panels, and the council will be helping to address the issues of climate change by employing renewable sources of energy where possible in its housing stock.”