A UK council expects to save around £9,000 a year on its electricity bills as a result of solar power.

Oldham Council has installed a solar array on the roof of Tommyfield Market Hall in a bid to become greener.

Electricity generated from the 110KW array will be used to power the hall, which is home to more than 90 independent traders.

The project is also expected to save around 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions, helping contribute to its target of reducing 48% of carbon emissions by the end of the decade.

Councillor Abdul Jabbar, Cabinet Member for Finance and Human Resources, said: “Over the next financial year Oldham Council needs to make savings of £19m so we need to come up with innovative ways of saving money to secure the future of buildings such as Tommyfield Market Hall whilst at the same time finding clean, sustainable alternative energy sources.”

Plans to install solar panels on other council-owned buildings across the borough are also being considered.

Big Six supplier E.ON announced it will cut household gas prices by 5.1% from February.