For the past two weeks and for the foreseeable, future wind farms have been generating an average five per cent of demand due to lack of wind, with solar almost non-existent in these long dark days of winter. If it wasn’t for fossil fuels and nuclear it wouldn’t just be a case of the lights going out, there would have been multiple deaths in this freezing weather.

Mr Banks is certainly correct that renewables (mainly wind farms) generate the equivalent of almost 100 per cent of our electricity use. Simply translated that means they could do that but in reality they don’t as they only work when the wind blows at the right speed, a very small window in other words.

The wind industry and the Scottish Government love to brag about wind generation breaking records but fail to mention that it is only for a few seconds on a very occasional day. When wind turbines are needed most, such as they are at the moment, they are standing idle in the fields with their arms in the air praying to the Gods of the Four Winds for inspiration.

Is the wind power the answer to our energy problem?

The majority of rural homes do not have gas for heating and rely on other fossil fuels. Our oil Aga is 45 years old and works 24/7 heating our home, cooking our meals, supplying constant hot water and also acts as a kettle, toaster and clothes dryer. It is also very economical to run, even now. Most country properties have one or an equivalent and couldn’t survive without it.

Only a person with no idea of the realities of country living would suggest it should be replaced by a heat pump which is expensive to buy, extortionate to run and doesn’t multi-task but worst of all it relies on electricity to work. What happens when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine?

Aileen Jackson, Uplawmoor, East Renfrewshire

Blown away

We now have about 25GW of installed wind power capacity. Over the past few days of severe weather actual delivery has been as low as about 1GW and we have had to rely on coal.

Fortunately we only pay for this. However in ideal wind conditions grid connectivity is such that only about half of the installed capacity can be delivered, and we have to pay so-called restraint payments for the other half to shut down. As they say – you couldn't make it up.

A McCormick, Terregles, Dumfries & Galloway

Who foots the bill?

While I have some sympathy for workers who feel they are not being adequately rewarded for their effort, there are factors that surely have to be taken into account when considering remuneration.

Public sector workers have, on the whole, extremely good pension schemes – often index linked, and they have more job security. Any annual pay increases, unheard of in my youth, have to be paid for either by users of the service or by all of us through increased taxes – I’m afraid there is no magic pot. Investors, in many cases the ordinary man or woman through our pension funds, will cease to invest if there is no return.

Surely the time has come to abandon percentage increases that simply fuel the gap between the well-off and those on basics – both of whom have to buy the same basic necessities.

The reality is, whether we like it or not, that we all are affected by increased prices two ways – (i) in our spending and (ii) reduced purchasing power of our taxes (the government too has to make the same income go further).

I would urge all workers to look at themselves and what they ‘need’ and not get swept along by media portrayal of percentages. There are undoubted good cases but please balance this with (i) did I get a rise last year when others got nothing? (ii) Did I recently get a “surprisingly good deal” to try to level the playing field?

James Watson

Dunbar, East Lothian

NHS reform

I have to agree with Brian Monteith (Scotsman, 12 December) when he says that all parties are scared to tackle NHS reform. The funding model is broken, we are all going to have to pay more, in one way or another, yet all parties run away from this, in London and Edinburgh!

William Ballantine, Bo’ness, West Lothian

Irish ayes

Ireland is not Utopia (Letters 13 December), but it surpasses the UK on what matters. Irish citizens live a year longer than the UK average and are far more likely to describe their personal health as good. Their economic wealth per person exceeds the UK. Fewer live in poverty and have far lower levels of income inequality. They are more highly educated. Their media is deemed far freer and they are far more satisfied with how their democracy operates. Ireland has built a well-working, modern republic that delivers for its citizens and ranked the seventh most democratic nation on the planet by the Economic Intelligence Unit.

Although healthcare is means tested in Ireland, the lower paid and for example, single pensioners over 70 earning £474 a week or less, or a couple on up to £905 a week, receive a medical card that entitles them to free healthcare. The basic Irish pension is £214 a week compared to £185 in the UK and the average annual salary in the UK is £29,600 whereas it is £38,000 in Ireland, which more than covers a higher cost of living.

Ireland is a significant contributor of overseas development assistance to the world’s poorest, and has an unrivalled record in United Nations peacekeeping.

Scotland would be a far better place if more people expressed the engaging self-confidence that Iain and Jane MacIntyre find in Ireland (Letters 12 December).

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh

In like Flynn

The new SNP leader at Westminster, Stephen Flynn MP, emerged from last week’s vote claiming that he would shake things up at Westminster. In particular, he asserted that his group were there not to settle down but to settle up.

Yet Mr Flynn is only a paper tiger. Faced with Ms Sturgeon’s demand for a "de facto referendum” at the next general election, he took cover, protesting that that would put the SNP Westminster group in the front line of the nationalist struggle.

Heaven forfend that these cosy MPs should have to risk their own seats because of the SNP leader’s policy!

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Truth to power

US citizen Anne Sacoolas recently appeared virtually at her court case in England when she was tried for causing the death of Harry Dunn by careless driving. Her extradition was not required. Julian Assange, currently in a UK prison, must receive the same privilege should he ever be tried in the United States.

To remind the reader, journalist Assange was pivotal in the publication of film footage from 2007 which showed two US helicopters firing on Iraqi civilians and killing several of them, including two Reuters journalists. The helicopter crew then laughed at the casualties. They then fired on a civilian vehicle that stopped to give first aid. I emphasise that Assange did not leak the footage – that was done by a member of the US army. Assange merely did his job as a journalist.

It is terrifying that the state can come after you for telling the truth.

Geoff Moore, Alness, Highland

Own goal

I think most Scots have no problem at all cheering on the other home nations when it comes to football. But sadly the tone of the UK media makes it a little hard to swallow! On match days BBC news bulletins would begin with news of the England team – and the Welsh when they were still taking part – taking up to the first ten minutes of the programme. BBC Breakfast showed us teachers and reporters hyping children to the skies in their schools on match days.

It is this that Scots find hard to take. Gareth Southgate is a good manager, in my opinion, and has some real talent in his team. But on the morning following the 4am explosion in Jersey which claimed several lives, the BBC chose to lead its UK news bulletins on the likely fortunes of England at the World Cup!

No doubt there would be nothing but support were the roles reversed and Scotland still in a competition when England had departed. But I am sure the UK news bulletins would not be starting with team news every match day.

Finally, on BBC's Morning Live on 13 December, the presenter began a link with the words “Now that the World Cup is over...” before pausing and correcting this to “now that England are no longer in the World Cup”. It seems for many broadcasters once England are knocked out the whole competition becomes worthless, never mind the skill and talent on show from other nations.

S M Duthie, Edinburgh

Charge them!

The Scottish Government is about to raise taxes to pay for their numerous financial failures. Local authorities are pleading poverty and want the Scottish Government to bail them out but refuse to cut their already inflated numbers, introduce a less expensive pension scheme for new employees and instead plan to increase council tax.

Margaret Thatcher tried to introduce a council tax based on the number of working people in a household but this was decried as a “poll tax”.

Surely if there are more than two wage earners in a household they should contribute to the numerous services they enjoy. A single person household only gets a 25 per cent reduction on the council tax and water rates. If there are three or more adults earning wages in a household it is only fair that there is a meaningful surcharge.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

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Readers' letters: The worst of times to make the case for wind power

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