Britain can’t cut off domestic gas without other reliable energy sources
SIR – The recommendation by the Committee on Climate Change that gas should not be used in homes built after 2025 (Letters, February 23) must be coupled to a government strategy for sources of energy in the future.
All existing coal and nuclear stations are being decommissioned within 16 years, with only one new nuclear power station under construction. Investment in tidal power is pitifully inadequate; wind and solar power are intermittent and this cannot yet be compensated for by large-scale energy storage. Electric vehicle numbers will increase significantly.
Everything therefore indicates increasing reliance on (foreign) gas for electrical power generation, with all its environmental and supply security implications.
Gas power plants currently contribute about 110 TWH of total annual electricity consumption of about 280 TWH. But if more domestic consumers are moved from using gas to electricity they will require extra generating capacity. To give some idea of the scale of the challenge, the current domestic use of gas amounts to about 300 TWH a year, about the same as the total electricity consumption.
The commitment to delivering solutions by successive governments has been weak. When can we expect a long-term energy policy supported wholeheartedly by all parties and pursued with total commitment and with the necessary level of investment? Jos Binns
Camerton, Somerset
SIR – One reason to reject a ban on gas in new houses is the imminent arrival on the market of domestic combined heat and power boilers using fuel cell technology, such as those made by the British company Ceres Power.
These produce both heat and electricity from a highly efficient gas-powered fuel cell stack. It is not only likely to save on current costs, but also makes electricity at the point of use – with no loss via transmission – thus greatly reducing the need for new power stations. Hugh de Saram
Marlborough, Wiltshire
SIR – Where will all the additional electricity come from to use at home, and for electric cars?
One might hope to see the fasttracking of local thorium reactors, hydrogen-powered vehicles and incinerators that produce abundant clean electricity.
Or is the domestic gas ban just a ploy to kill off the shale gas industry? Pamela Wheeler
Shrewsbury
SIR – I have just visited the kitchens of Windsor Castle. Established 750 years ago, these are the oldest working kitchens in the country, possibly in the world. I noticed all the cooking appliances were gas-fired.
Who will tell the Queen that she has to convert all this to electricity? Duncan Rayner
Sunningdale, Berkshire