Sir – I read with interest Ms Couch’s reply to my letter of the previous week.

I feel she has missed the point I was trying to make by a country mile. Any increase in the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) is met by a levy on all households across the country. However worthy her community scheme may be, others will have to pay. These others include low-income households and those in energy poverty. There is no opting out. It is these people who will suffer most so that some lucky people in Eynsham can have their free electricity. These people, who will have to pay, are slowly being priced out of the energy market, and can only meet extra cost by either, using less energy or taking money from other parts of their budget, such as food. Maybe a combination of both. However, it’s only just a small sacrifice to help the people of Eynsham to have free electricity.

Recent reports show that the death rate due to cold among the elderly and vulnerable is rising. An utter disgrace in a so-called civilised and modern society.

I fully appreciate and support the aims that they are trying to achieve in the community project, but not at the expense of the low paid and vulnerable by increasing FITs etc, which they have to pay for.

In the past many, many thousands of people gave a lot of time, effort and hard earned money in raising funds for community projects, the results of which can be seen across the county in the form of village halls, community centres, sports clubs and grounds, etc. I am sure there are many examples in and around Eynsham.

We are now in a society where we expect the State to do everything. So please stop asking families across the country, many of them in poverty, to fund your scheme, they have enough problems of their own.

If it is so wonderful and of such great benefit to Eynsham, start to raise your own funds. You will soon find out if the people of Eynsham are that interested and how much they are willing to pay, or the effort they are willing to put in to achieve it.

Brian Wallis, Middle Barton