A pensioner from Long Ashton has seen his drive to live a greener lifestyle pay off – after running his gas central heating system for three months for just 65p.

Dr Bill Barritt, aged 81, had solar panels and photovoltaic cells installed on the roof of his home at Rayens Croft Road last April to heat his water and produce electricity.

The retired cardiologist and his wife Rosalind received a £2,500 grant from the Government towards the £9,500 cost of installing the electricity generating equipment.

And the move has seen their heating bills plummet and between June and September last year, the pensioner used just 65p worth of gas.

The power he generates from the solar panels provides hot water, while the photovoltaic cells produce electricity for his home.

Dr Barritt also sells the electricity he generates from his panels and cells back to Scottish and Southern Electricity for 20p per kilowatt hour.

Since he had the equipment installed, he has produced around 1,000 kilowatts of power – all of which will go back into the national grid.

The average quarterly winter gas bill is between £300 and £400 for a three-bedroom. This can reduce greatly in the summer months to around £150-£200.

The grandfather of 13 said: "It is an enormous benefit, especially the hot water.

"We turned the boiler off last April and didn't switch it on again until the beginning of October.

"Our gas bill for the summer months was 65p."

It is a myth that the sun needs to be shining for solar panels to work. They store and use daylight, not sunlight.

Obviously, the panels are more effective in the summer months as there are more hours of daylight.

Installing a solar energy system can reduce household energy bills by up to 60 per cent.

Photovoltaic solar cells convert light from the sun into electricity while solar thermal collectors, or panels, use daylight to heat hot water or oil.

The Government has reduced the VAT on solar technology to five per cent in an attempt to encourage consumers going green.

Dr Barritt, who used to work at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, anticipates he will recover the initial outlay for the equipment within 10 years.

He is also green in other ways and recycles household rubbish, has a compost bin for kitchen scraps and a well-stocked vegetable patch.

Dr Barritt added: "I try and do my bit to help the environment and this obviously was a long-term investment.

"I want to look after the planet for my grandchildren.

"I think that any conscientious citizen should be doing something to reduce their carbon emissions."