Only 12 per cent of Jordanian families use solar power for heating systems at home, the report said, adding that the cost of installing solar-powered heaters, currently between JD400-JD500, is among the reasons preventing the expansion of solar thermal usage among the citizens.

Despite its expense, prohibitive for low-income families, the DoS said the cost of installing this technology can be recouped within the first four years of its use as it will cut down the monthly expenses of households using other heating systems by 70 per cent.

Solar thermal power has several advantages over traditional photovoltaic units, which are often used in the Kingdom for water heaters and small-scale solar power installations, the department said, urging the government to subsidise this sector as it would significantly reduce the country's increasing energy bill.

"Lack of support and funding by the government to encourage its use, insufficient space on the surface of most buildings and inadequate skilled hands for the maintenance of solar heaters are also reasons that make people resort to other resources for heating systems," the DoS report said.

Muhyiddine Tawalbeh from the National Energy Research Centre, said last month that the Kingdom's energy bill in 2007 stood at JD2.3 billion, equal to 56.4 per cent of the country's gross exports and 20.3 per cent of its gross domestic product.

He noted that 65 per cent of the energy consumed in the Kingdom depends on oil, 32 per cent on imported liquid gas and only 2 per cent on renewable energy.

The national energy strategy calls for 10 per cent of the country's energy demands to be met by renewable energy sources, 29 per cent by natural gas, 14 per cent from oil shale, and 6 per cent from nuclear energy within the next decade.