Government looks into incentives, such as discounted electricity bills or new playgrounds, for areas that install turbines

Communities with windfarms in their area could get money off their electricity bills or grants for facilities such as playgrounds, the government has suggested.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has launched a consultation into how communities could benefit from having windfarms sited near them, for example by receiving discounts on bills or investment in local infrastructure. It will also look at how local businesses could become involved in the supply chain and how developers can best consult local people.

The energy secretary, Edward Davey, said that too often host communities had seen the "windfarm but not the windfall" and he wanted to ensure people benefited from them.

Currently the industry pays to host communities a minimum of £1,000 per megawatt of generating capacity of turbines installed, but in some cases companies provide larger benefits packages.

The government is also reviewing the cost of onshore wind to ensure subsidies from April 2014 have been set at the right level. Subsidies are due to be cut by 10% from next year, although there have been moves by the Treasury to have them reduced by 25%.

Significant opposition to onshore windfarms has been voiced by a number of Tory MPs, who wanted to see subsidies for the technology slashed. But the latest figures from Decc's quarterly survey into public attitudes shoed that 66% of people were in favour of onshore wind, although the figure was lower than for other renewable technologies.

Onshore wind had the highest level of opposition of the renewable energy sources, although only 12% opposed the technology, with just 4% strongly opposed to it.

Davey said: "Onshore wind has an important role to play in a diverse energy mix that is secure, low-carbon and affordable.

"We know that two thirds of people support the growth of onshore wind. But far too often, host communities have seen the windfarms but not the windfall.

"We are sensitive to the controversy around onshore wind and we want to ensure that people benefit from having windfarms sited near to them."

But the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) warned the government against promoting a system in which communities were "paid off" to secure planning permission for windfarms.

Tom Leveridge, senior energy campaigner for CPRE, said: "This would fundamentally undermine a core principle of the planning system – that planning permission should not be bought or sold – and put the countryside at greater risk from poorly sited wind developments."