Dear secretary of state [for energy],

A recent newspaper article based on an interview with Charles Hendry (Minister with the energy to bat for Britain, 23 August) suggested that funding "may be slashed" for feed-in tariff technologies such as solar PV and the forthcoming renewable heat incentive. As you know, heat is responsible for 47% of UK emissions and 49% of UK energy demand, so no government serious about climate change or energy security can ignore half the problem.

Both renewable heat and solar PV are decentralised technologies, which put the power to generate directly in people's hands. Costs come down when the industry can plan and invest with confidence, and economies of scale are achieved – that is one of the simple aims of these policy mechanisms. They are demonstrably effective at reducing costs – for example, the cost of PV halved in a decade in Germany under a similar scheme and costs under the UK scheme are forecast to more than halve by 2020. The UK's PV market is now finally getting off the ground, with jobs projected to treble in 2010 alone.

You published a report with your July energy statement estimating that the cost to households of energy and climate change policies could be counterbalanced by savings from existing energy efficiency policies. We hope Decc ministers will advocate this approach, including in the Comprehensive Spending Review, to explain how essential technological innovation can be paid for. We were disappointed not to see this argument made in recent media coverage. Pursuing energy efficiency alongside renewables is clearly the right approach.

Yours sincerely,

Gaynor Hartnell

Chief executive, Renewable Energy Association

Alan Simpson

Sustainable energy adviser, Friends of the Earth

Peter Kendall

President, National Farmers' Union

David Caro

Chair, FSB Environment Committee, Federation of Small Businesses

John Sauven

Executive director, Greenpeace UK

Ray Horwood CBE

Chief executive, National Federation of Roofing Contractors

Peter Kindersley

Farmer and entrepreneur

William Worsley

President, Country Land and Business Association

Tony Juniper

Sustainability adviser and campaigner

Frances O'Grady

Deputy general secretary, TUC

Howard Johns

Chairman, Solar Trade Association

Brian Berry

Director external affairs, Federation of Master Builders

Chris Baugh

Assistant general secretary, Public and Commercial Services Union

Andrew Lee

General manager, Sharp Energy Solutions Europe

Neil Schofield

Head of sustainable development, Worcester Bosch

Gavin Hayes

General secretary, Compass

Ed Mayo

Secretary general, Co-operatives UK

Julia Craik

Managing director, The Premises Studios Ltd

Derry Newman

Chief executive, SolarCentury

John Meadows

Managing director, Schott UK

Dave Sowden

Chief executive, Micropower Council

Leonie Greene

Campaign manager, We Support Solar

Andrew Leech

Executive director, National Home Improvement Council

Craig Jackson

Senior architectural technician, South Yorkshire Housing Association Limited