An efficient home interior is just one of the things we are all urged to acquire these days. An efficient exterior would be just as useful int erms of limiting our wastage of utilities. I have always wondered about the need for those huge patio heaters that were all the rage a couple of years ago. True, our summer and early autumns are not always warm enough to sit out comfortably on the patio, but lighting one of those large portable gas fired gizmos does seem a little excessive – a stout coat, hat, gloves and thick boots will keep some cold out and not wreck the plant.
There are all sorts of fancy decorative items in the garden centres these days for heating the outdoor space. There must have been a niche in the market a year or so ago – we now hear of fire bowls, barbeque space heaters etc. Cut them out and save the botled gas and the greenhouse ones!