From the User Preferences Window, you can manage email accounts for the User by selecting the Email Service option displayed to the left of the window. The Email Service Page looks like this:-
Email Service Page
You are not required to create an email account, but one is needed to use email services.
1. Email Acccounts List - displays the current email accounts for the User.
2. Check for Email - select the number of minutes to wait before the email service checks for email for each of the active email accounts shown in area (1).
3. 
New, 
Delete and 
Edit Email Account Buttons - you can create a new Email Account using the New Email Account button shown in area (3). Newly created accounts will display in the list box to the left of the buttons in (1), and you can use the Delete Email Account and Edit Email Account buttons to manage these accounts, after creating them.
Further reading from User Preferences:
