Energy crisis causes

SIR – It is disingenuous of the Prime Minister to lay the blame for Britain’s energy crisis at Vladimir Putin’s door.

This crisis has been a long time in the making. Contributory factors have been a failed nuclear energy policy, a blinkered decision to stop developing our domestic oil and gas reserves, an obsession with net zero targets, a crumbling in the face of minority opposition to fracking, and an overreliance on imported energy to make up for our domestic failings.

Mr Putin has only played a role in the last of these. The remaining responsibility is ours, and it is for the Government to set this right – and soon. Christopher Wilton

Petersfield, Hampshire

SIR – I agree with Jos Binns’s letter (September 7) outlining a German proposal for energy, whereby all consumers would be entitled to a standard amount of power at a cheap rate, with usage above that charged at nearer the market rate.

In France the peak-time usage charge is within 10 per cent of what I’m paying here, but the off-peak charge is half that rate. Similarly, in Spain, there are multiple rates, with the cheapest on Saturday and Sunday.

As my energy bill already counts the days in order to calculate the standing charge, and caters for multiple tariffs if there’s a change in price mid-quarter, we could relatively easily introduce a basic cheap-rate allowance – equal to, say, 8kwh per day – then charge a premium on usage above that rate.

This approach would not subsidise wealthy or profligate users. Nor would it require the smart meter rollout to be completed, as it could be achieved using the current metering system. Keith Appleyard West Wickham, Kent