HUNDREDS of households in East Dorset have benefitted from a soon-to-be scrapped green energy scheme, figures show.

Figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show 1,684 households in East Dorset had signed up to the scheme as of September, equating to a rate of 430 installations per 10,000 households.

But government plans could see the scheme - known as the feed-in tariff - closed to new participants from next March, potentially affecting jobs and green energy take-up.

Currently households with green energy generators such as solar panels or wind turbines are able to earn money for the electricity they produce. Almost all of the East Dorset installations were solar panels.

According to the Renewable Energy Association, households could expect to save between £100 to £200 a year on their energy bills and receive around £100 per year from the two tariff payments.

The Government announced in 2015 that it would end the generation tariff for new participants in March 2019, but has since said it will also discontinue the export tariff.

Campaigners warned the move will make green energy less attractive, and could lead to a drop in installations costing jobs in the sector.