AT LEAST 1,000 homes could see solar panels installed under plans to reduce the climate impact of homes.

A report being discussed by councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council will outline proposals to further reduce carbon emissions from council homes.

Planned work also includes reviews of the energy performance of council homes and an exploration of how some communal blocks in North Whitehawk could benefit from replacing gas boilers with air source heat pumps - which are more environmentally-friendly and could reduce heating bills for residents.

The report will also ask councillors to agree the allocation of up to £400,000 to extend the Warm Safe Homes Grant scheme, which supports homeowners and private tenants in fuel poverty.

An extension of the scheme would increase the available grant from £7,500 to £20,000.

Councillor Siriol Hugh-Jones, co-chair of the housing committee, said: "How we heat our houses is both a vital issue for our residents and a key way to help prevent emissions from cold homes - so this work really can't progress fast enough.

"Working alongside Labour councillors as part of our joint plans for housing, we have already committed to reducing carbon emissions in both council homes and the homes of those on low incomes.

"The extension of the grant scheme is real progress and will enable more residents to benefit. By installing climate adaptation measures in their homes, we allow people and the planet to flourish.

"Residents who take this forward could see a reduction in fuel bills and improvements to their health and well-being."

A 2019 report from the Climate Change Committee, an independent body set up to advise the UK on climate targets, found that home energy use accounts for 14 per cent of the UK's total carbon emissions, and has risen in recent years.

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