Never use patio heaters – they just send inefficiently produced energy straight up into the air, as well as pumping out CO₂ and carbon monoxide. Unfortunately usage is spreading, with the numbers in the UK set to double in a very short time, exacerbated by the introduction of the pub smoking ban. That’s between half a million and one million tonnes of CO₂ a year, completely offsetting the savings expected to be made through changes to the vehicle taxation system.

If your local, or your neighbour, has a patio heater ask them to turn it off.

The simple alternative, with minimal CO₂ emissions, is called a j-u-m-p-e-r.

Wyevale Garden Centres, despite selling £250,000 worth of patio heaters a year, have stopped selling them. B&Q, Focus and Homebase have noticeably not yet followed suit.