Editor: Visiting Aberystwyth, I was rather disturbed by the correspondence from Liz Lee (Letters, Cambrian News, 24 August).

Her well meaning letter came over as highly prescriptive, informing us as readers what it is up to each of us to do. It was also very unrealistic given that many of us are not in a position to take many of the actions she expects of us.

We are not all fortunate enough to own our own homes, so installing heat pumps and solar panels is not possible even if we could afford it. In my own case the house I live in is owned by the Methodist Church, which, despite nationally making lots of high sounding statements about the environment, is unwilling at a local level to spend money to reduce the environmental impact of its residential properties.

At the present time, the purchase of electric cars is outside the budget of many people, and is of limited value when the electricity being used to charge the vehicles often comes from non-renewable sources.

At present, electric cars simply serve to salve the consciences of the middle classes.I agree that our government (like all those that have gone before, including Labour ones) have failed to invest in cleaner energy but it is not possible for ordinary people with declining living standards to take responsibility in the way that she suggests.

Few of us are able to take the actions of her friend who must have had a considerable amount of money available upfront to install the solar panels and purchase the electric car.

Liz mentions “the poor” in a rather patronising way, hoping that they will be able to “heat and eat”. What she fails to recognise is that pretty soon “the poor” will make up the largest group in society, driven into this situation by the cost of living and energy price crises.I

t may be a relatively easy and pleasant walk from Llanbadarn into Aberystwyth but not everyone can walk to where they need to go. What about the disabled and those in areas poorly served by public transport?

Making ordinary people feel guilty about the state of the word is not the answer.

Rev. Peter O. Hughes,

Liverpool