Some solutions to energy crisis

As expected, no one has proposed any solutions to the energy crisis, so here are a few suggestions which might help.

At the simplest level we could use the washing up bowl, folding clothes airer and single cup boiler more frequently, rather than their more energy hungry alternatives.

Then heating only the rooms we really need to, adding sliding or folding doors to help isolate rooms in open plan houses.

Regarding the extra room added to many houses, I have often wondered why these are not reassessed for council tax when completed?

It would bring the councils much-needed extra income, which could help them fund the services they struggle to provide at present.

The design of cars meanwhile is undergoing a seismic change, but this will not save energy or solve the congestion and parking problems in urban areas.

We really need to assess whether the personal ownership of cars is acceptable in these

areas, and possibly introduce congestion charging, as in some cities.

Another ‘hidden’ energy use is the multitude of electronic communication and home entertainment devices. These use little energy but are often left on stand-by, have short lives, and are difficult to recycle, so turning off and keeping for longer would help here.

Flying of course is a major energy user which leaves its pollution high in the atmosphere and helps to spread global pandemics, so this should really be considered when planning holidays to foreign parts.

The long-distance shipment of food and goods should carry a ‘distance levy’ which could be used to subsidise more local production where possible, but only governments could introduce this.

As mentioned before, solar panels with battery storage will generate considerable energy in the summer, but heat pumps, like electric cars, only change the type of energy used.

Of course, some of these suggestions will not be acceptable either to the public or the politicians at present, especially where increased costs are concerned, but the planet is warming up as witnessed by the heatwave in India at present.

Incidentally, my solar panels produced more power this April than in any summer month last year, which may be good for me, but is a bad sign for the planet! Mike Armstrong

Queens Avenue, Canterbury