Jersey Electricity has begun offering a roof top solar panel package for customers switching away from oil and gas heating.

'The Solar Smart bundle' give households the option of using energy from the sun to heat their hot water system via a rooftop array.

It is aimed at households already moving away from fossil fuels to electricity.

JE’s Director of Business Development Peter Cadiou says it is a first step, that will eventually be expanded.

"It is aimed at those customers who are already on a journey, so they are staring to think about moving their heating systems from oil and gas to electricity, and while we are there doing that work we can offer them the opportunity to install solar at the same time.

It is to try and make this as economical as possible, and try and minimise the disruption to the consumer."

Mr Cadiou says a rooftop array will enable customers to generate power from the sun to heat their home, and sell any surplus to the grid.

"We know from conversations and requests we have had, that many customers are excited at the prospect of generating their own power and we are seeing a new trend in how we are thinking about energy as individuals and as a community.

"Solar technology is now much more accessible and we are championing market-leading technologies to ensure customers get the most out of their solar and heating systems."

Price-wise, a typical domestic array is around £3,000 to £4,000, but Mr Cadiou says it bring s long-term savings:

"Customers can change the way they interact with energy, and that can save them money in the long-run, in terms of the energy being available from what they are generating on the roof.

"When they don't have demand within the property, it can be exported back to the grid and we so offer a buy-back arrangement where we will pay for that energy that goes back onto the grid and then it is shared with the rest of the consumers around the island."