I WAS interested to read the letter Wind Farms Increase CO2 from Dr Bratby, Echo August 1. It is about time we considered verifiable facts concerning Navitus and renewable energy policy. The issues are very serious indeed for the whole UK.

Our energy security, that is the amount of backup we have to cope with outages, breakdowns or high demand, has reduced from 17 per cent in 2010 to 1.2 per cent predicted by the National Grid for this coming winter. This is desperate stuff. The government have already allocated £36 million to compensate Industry when they are asked to shut down due to a lack of supply. (Source: DECC.)

The taxpayer has spent £120 billion for renewable energy without the consequences of their unreliable supply being considered by government, despite being warned by energy analysts for 12 years that reliable supply must be part of the mix.

On many occasions in December, January and February on the darkest coldest days with no wind, all renewables provided less than one per cent to the grid. (Source: www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk).

We pay three times the price of electricity from offshore wind compared with a gas power station. This is contractually guaranteed, even if, as on June 6, on a very windy and bright sunny Saturday, renewable energy actually overproduced onto a very low demand, so we had to pay £2 million for power that was dumped. (Source: Professor Jack Ponton FREng.)

The Green Levy we all pay on our utility bills, currently £68 per household, was predicted to rise to £120 in 2020, but has currently been upgraded to £141. In 2030 the prediction is £226. It is assumed by government that we will use less electricity, but that is dependent on millions of people buying new high tech fridges and TVs, so is not guaranteed. (Source: DECC Analysis November 2014.)

We do need a mix of power to give us some security and independence in a dangerous world, and clean energy is the ideal, but the policy that has been followed has put us all at risk, not only to our security, but also at vast unimaginable financial cost.

EDF, who would benefit from our billions, for Navitus have just been fined 1.4billion Euros for many years of tax evasion, so we know where a lot of our money would go. (Source: The Times July 23.) Regarding Climate Change, Amber Rudd in her latest speech to industry on July 24 refused to discuss whether it is happening or not. (Source: DECC.)

Frank Bayes

Parkwood Road, Southbourne