HOMES in Northwich and Winsford are set to benefit from renewable energy following a successful bid for European funding.

The project will see more than a hundred homes in the area, none of which are connected to mains gas, benefit from thermal hot water installations – amounting to £300,000 worth of investment.

Solar panels will be fitted to each property, which will heat up to 60 per cent of the household’s hot water, reducing the need for electricity.

Clr Herbert Manley, executive member for prosperity, led Cheshire West and Chester Council’s (CWAC) bid for funding.

He said: “There are a number of houses in west Cheshire that cannot afford to keep their properties warm at reasonable cost and it is targeting these that we had in mind when we led the application for this European funding.

“Local regeneration programmes make a difference to residents living in both urban and rural areas and this programme targeting hard-to-reach properties and small businesses is a fantastic example of what we need to be doing more of.”

CWAC, in partnership with neighbouring council’s, Cheshire East and Warrington, secured £3.6 million of funding which was matched by the European Regional Development Fund to create a total of £7.2 million.

The main objective of the proposal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,437 tonnes per year by December 2013.

The money must be used to install renewable energy and low carbon technology in hard to treat or rural, isolated homes. The installations will be completed within the next two years.