Tax returns

The points made by your correspondent Simon Martin (Letters, 1 September) are spot-on.

If the government had a plan to invest, encourage or even bludgeon any sector of UK industry towards innovative design to save or maximise energy efficiency, then it would be invading every part of our lives to publicise how it is doing us a 'world of good'.

However the deathly silence tells the true story — taxes lost to a huge, invisible treasure chest.

Take houses, for example. We need products to cost- effectively modify existing homes. New-build is great, but the sheer volume means there will be greater benefits to convert existing properties.

As for transport, we need cost-effective single-seat travel 'vehicles' to commute in safety and comfort.

Such cars could be fuelled overnight by the energy stored from day-time roof-top devices.

Both these cases are examples of where government subsidy is needed.

We all know that simply will not and cannot happen. Mind you, those we elect will simply tax us for doing such things they consider can count. So watch out for a £zillion road tax levy.

Another point is the number of jobs that will be lost in the energy supply/process chain.

But, if you are selling fossil fuel reserves it will soon be a dead end anyway.

Graham Loakes

Wombourne

Wolverhampton