The green barometer two

What are you personally doing to save energy and reduce the risk of climate change? Perhaps you've already swapped all your old light bulbs for energy saving ones, you always make a point of switching off lights when you leave a room, and you make sure your thermostat is no higher than it needs to be.

Perhaps you've already followed all our cheap and simple energy saving tips and completed our home energy check.

But did you know that some of the good you're doing to reduce your impact on climate change could be undermined in a single stroke if you choose to use a big energy guzzler like a patio heater or an air-conditioning unit?

The patio pandemic

This is becoming a real issue because as a nation we are going patio heater crazy. Ownership of domestic heaters is set to double from 1.2 million currently to 2.3 million in the near future, according to our June 2007 Green Barometer, Britain's first national survey of the country's attitudes to green issues, published quarterly.

The demand for air-conditioning units, though currently on a much smaller scale, is rising steeply too: two per cent of homes now have one, with a further two per cent saying they plan to buy one.

The cost of heating the outdoors

The patio heater is no ordinary household appliance. It uses on average the same amount of energy as a gas hob gets through in six months, emitting around 50kg of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) per year. FACT: the CO ₂ emitted by 2.3 million patio heaters is as much as would be emitted by driving from Lands End to John O'Groats 200,000 times.

Patio heaters are an obviously wasteful appliance in that their job is essentially to heat the open air. Our research shows that they only really get used in July and August, usually the two hottest months of the year. And they waste shocking amounts of energy doing something that could just as easily be achieved by a rather simpler, completely free and totally carbon-neutral alternative: putting a jumper on!

Choose your pubs with care

And the problem isn't just at home. With the new smoking ban now in place, we can also expect to see more and more pubs and restaurants investing in outdoor heaters to provide a place for smokers to huddle round. Over a third of smokers say they would look for a pub or bar with a patio heater, according to our research.

Philip Selwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, says: "We are calling for responsible retailers to re-consider the sale of patio heaters in light of the substantial amount of carbon emissions they could produce.

"Why don't people just wear a jumper? People are also influencing the larger more damaging commercial sector. Landlords are helping to make patio heaters desirable - which they are not."

With 60,000 pubs and 25,000 restaurants in the UK - not to mention the thousands and thousands of clubs, hotels and cafes - the problem with patio heaters could far outstrip the domestic issue. But we as consumers can make a big difference here too, by voting with our feet.

How can you make a difference?

• Think before you buy a patio heater or air-conditioning unit: the energy they consume could outweigh some of your other energy saving efforts.
• To enjoy the outdoor evenings, why not simply put on an extra layer instead?
• Consider using only pubs and bars that don't use patio heaters.
• Still not convinced about the need to reduce energy consumption? Read about Your impact on climate change.
• For free local, independent advice about energy saving, call your nearest Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012.

Read the green barometer report

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