Anything he can do, I can do greener, says eco-warrior Gordon

So much so that solar panels have been spotted on the roof of the Chancellor's constituency home in Scotland.

Scroll down for more ...

Solar panels can be clearly seen on the rooftop of Gordon Brown's home in Fife. They were mounted last week as the Chancellor does his bit for the environment

At an average cost of £4,000 to install such panels, it will take Mr Brown at least four decades to recoup his investment – even with the generous grants for such "micro-generation" schemes announced in his Budget.

However, environmentalists point out that the average solar panel system can reduce carbon emissions by up to nine tons per year and that, they claim, is the true benefit.

Cynics might scoff at the Chancellor's attempt to harness the sun's power in the village of North Queensferry, Fife – which is not famed for its fabulous climate.

But meteorologists say that despite the dour Scottish weather, the region actually enjoys more sunshine than most of Britain with an average of 1,400 hours a year.

While Mr Brown's spokesmen were reluctant to discuss his latest green initiative, the technical director of the Solar Power company said: "The Chancellor's system sounds like it's set up for heating water rather than just generating electricity for lights."

Brian Hulton added: "The average system in the UK costs anywhere from £3,500 to £4,500, and it should save Mr Brown 70 per cent on his hot water bills – that should make sense to a Chancellor of the Exchequer."

Friends of the Earth chief executive, Duncan McLaren, added: "That Gordon Brown is personally taking action to reduce climate emissions is welcome.

"However, it is a shame he did not do more in his Budget to advance the takeup of micro-renewables."