SOLAR panels will be installed on thousands of council homes across Colchester in the next year.

Colchester Council has confirmed a company will install and maintain solar panels on 2,000 council homes and other council-owned buildings, including the Leisure World sports centre, by next April.

Tenants signing up to the scheme could get cheaper electricity bills, by making use of power from their own roofs.

The company’s identity will not be revealed until contracts are signed and will earn 40p per unit of electricity generated for the next 25 years through a Government subsidy.

The council will get an undisclosed amount of this income and stands to save £20,000 a year on the energy bills of buildings, such as Leisure World, and, potentially, the crematorium.

The Town Hall will not be included in the scheme, because its roof doesn’t face south, the direction experts say is best for solar panels.

Paul Smith, councillor responsible for resources, said: “We’re going to be one of the first councils to have this.

“We’re not going to make it compulsory for tenants at this stage, but the deal that’s on offer is such a good one, an awful lot of people will take it up straight away.

“We’ve also had a lot of interest from local companies who want to be put in touch with whoever gets the contract, so they can subcontract the work, something we’re keen to do.”

A council survey of tenants recently suggested the scheme would be popular, with 87 showing an interest in taking part, and only 15 saying they would not.