RICHMONDSHIRE District Council are about to charge a flat fee for central heating and water for elderly people in their blocks of flats in the district (D&S Times, June 30). This is to make their money easier to manage. On the face of it, a good idea, unfortunately it has not been thought through properly.

Most people are happy with the present metered system which rewards those who keep their energy costs to a minimum and penalises those who are profligate.

The new system allows everyone to use their central heating at full blast for most of the year if they so wish for this flat fee.

The effect of this will be to give rising gas bills for Richmond District Council properties.

No guesses as to how they will tackle that!

Britain and the world are at last starting to face the effect of global warming, rising seas, crop failures etcetera.

It seems a pity that Richmondshire District Council are unaware of it.

Dave Hodgson, Richmond