Fuelling poverty

In spite of what he says,  generally speaking, the renewables subsidy regime is distorting the allocation of resources away from deprived communities.

The long-established mechanisms of government grant distribution to local authorities are based on a detailed assessment of relative wealth and needs. On the other hand, the new methodology of distributing resources is based on geographical location, the impact of which is to divert resources to those areas suitable for the construction of wind farms, a methodology from which deprived urban communities in particular do not benefit.

This is an absolute nonsense, especially taking into account the fact that even those communities experiencing extensive fuel poverty are contributing to other, often relatively wealthy, communities.

Even if a few deprived rural communities are benefiting it is far from being a particularly evidence-based methodology.

In fact, I would add that this phenomenon is doing nothing whatsoever to make Scotland a more equal society and in fact serves to support Simon Pia’s point [see lead letter].

John Milne

Ardgowan Drive

Uddingston, Lanarkshire

This could be a good time to turn some light on how communities adapt to administer this new and largely unaccustomed munificence.

Several imaginative models of community organisations are springing up to handle those large sums but an essential element for all of them is that there should be absolute transparency in the handling of money entrusted to them.

As a minimum requirement there should be a finance sub-committee which meets at least monthly with the task of assisting, backing up and supervising the work of the treasurer, and the treasurer should not chair that sub-committee.

The date set for the annual meeting should be sacrosanct and copies of properly audited accounts for the previous year should be available to members at least a week before the meeting. It cannot be emphasised enough that community organisations handling large sums of money are a recent phenomenon for many people, and those involved have a duty of care and responsibilities which must be taken seriously.

Few community organisations are geared to cope with prudently investing or spending large sums and if future recriminations and heartache are to be avoided it is absolutely essential that robust systems of financial management are in place in those organisations from the outset.

Irvine Inglis

Reston

Berwickshire

Fuel poverty could be economically reduced in Scotland if we adopted the effective model used in some American states – namely getting the major energy providers to fund energy efficient measures in buildings, whether boilers, insulation or controls systems, in order to reduce energy use.

This could save as much  energy as could be generated by a new power station, while  allowing prices per unit charged to rise affordably for the  consumer. A win-win on all sides. To achieve this, we need our government to help promote changes in current unsustainable and short-term commercial practices, with the assistance of the regulators.

Elizabeth Marshall

Western Harbour Midway

Edinburgh

Readers will be confused by your item about extinctions (“Global warming to bring extinction, not evolution”, 4 September), which, on the one hand, claims that biodiversity increases with temperature and, on the other hand, that warm periods in the geological past led to a drop in diversity.

Which is it then?

Steuart Campbell

Dovecot Loan

Edinburgh