Powering Britain

SIR – On being elected prime minister in 2010, David Cameron announced that he would run the “greenest-ever government”, but in 2011 reduced feed-in tariffs dramatically. This had the knock-on effect of decimating a thriving solar installation industry at a time when the cost of solar panels was falling. The tariffs were further eroded in early 2016.

Now the aim is for all new vehicles to be electric by 2040 (Letters, August 3). The problem is how to generate the electricity to make this achievable. Roger Godfrey

East Molesey, Surrey

SIR – What has been lacking in the ongoing furore on energy prices is any clarity on the comparative cost of the various sources of household energy.

Here in Scotland, I am paying just over 17p per kilowatt hour for electricity. I’m not on the gas grid and the cost of oil for my heating works out at around 4.5p per kwh.

Our daughter has a business in Banchory that uses gas for space heating and hot water. She pays about 3p per kwh.

This wide disparity between gas, oil and electricity prices is without doubt due to green subsidy recovery. M J Salter

Banchory, Kincardineshire

SIR – The Digest of UK Energy Statistics covering 2016 has just been released.

Wind generation fell by 7.3 per cent, even though the number of wind turbines rose by 13 per cent. Hydro generation fell by 14 per cent, even though the number of small hydro schemes rose by 20 per cent. Luckily, gas rose from 29 per cent of the total to 42 per cent to fill any gaps. Geoff Moore

Alness, Ross-shire