Left with power cut off

SIR – Yesterday, I heard a selfconfessed “grumpy Northerner” saying that those in the South East would not have been left without power for over a week.

While sympathising with him, let me assure him that after the big storm of October 1987 our West Sussex hamlet had no power for 10 days. Groups of Scottish engineers worked all over the area to help out. Candles, fuel and camping gas were rationed, if you could find them, and our lovely hamsters went into permanent hibernation because it was so cold.

After that experience, a woodburner and solar energy that could be stored for use in an emergency became a priority.

Helen M Abbott

Billingshurst, West Sussex

SIR – The headline to your leading article on Saturday said: “We abandon British energy at our peril.” Britain unfortunately already has the (selfimposed) Climate Change Act enshrined in law. This forbids us to carry on using fossil fuels in the future. No other country in the world has been mad enough to follow our lead.

That Shell has, sensibly, abandoned its plans to develop new oilfields in the North Sea is only the most recent of catastrophic energy decisions forced on them by this Government.

A few days ago we refused permission for two massive gaspowered generators to come online if we are faced with blackouts (which we will have if there is a severe winter).

Surely one of the most irrational recent government decisions was to deny permission for the World Nuclear Association to put up exhibits at Cop26 because, it told the applicants, there was no space left. However, there was space to accommodate groups such as the Froglife Trust and the British Dragonfly Society. This was just after the Government committed £250 million to develop Rolls-royce’s small nuclear power plants.

We just cannot go on like this.

Paul Mcclory

Oxford