Most economical way to heat patio

Lit_Up

Gas seems like the easiest and cheapest way to heat up a garden. A commercial patio heater costs 300-400 pounds. Cheaper consumer models are about half that, but buy cheap buy twice etc. I was thinking of using a Bushman Burner, basically a posh chiminea, but that costs the same amount of money to buy as a commercial patio heater, takes a long time to warm up and anthracite is expensive.

Am I right? Cost of gas is cheaper and easier to warm patio with? What is the cheapest gas fuel for patio heater?

lostinrates

I am reasonably hardy I admit, and am outside at least briefly come rain or shine, but it seems the mse option is good outdoor wear, and even some lovely picnic style blankets to sit with while enjoying the last dry days of the year.

RAS

My thought is why???

Wrap up warm, take out a mug of hot coffee or soup and make sure you have a decent cushion or camping mat under your bum. And good socks and thick soles under your feet.

Also - if you have any sort of canopy, you wll be amazed at how much warm it is when the sky is not immediately over your head. Try slipping under a bus shelter on the next freezing night if you want to confirm this.

tanith

I have always thought its madness to try and heat an outside area, the heat just disperses outwards and upwards, much cheaper and simpler to use wraps or a decent coat if you want to sit around outside in the Winter or just keep moving.

Davesnave

Hmmmm.....us ordinary bods are clearly stumped by this one.

May I suggest the answer might lie on our Green and Ethical Board?

blossomhill_2

Heat up the house and leave doors and windows on patio side open?

mrbadexample

I've got a chimnea and burn wood in it. Cost £200 (but you could get cheaper quite easily). No further outlay as there's plenty of free wood about.

mrbadexample

RAS wrote: »

My thought is why???

Nothing quite like a nice fire to sit in front of. You can even cook your dinner on it.

Itismehonest

Our patio is wired for electricity - 3 double sockets so heating, music, laptops, additional lighting, whatever you fancy can be run outside.

Also get (or build) a firepit which can burn wood, charcoal, coal etc.

armyknife

Lit_Up wrote: »

Gas seems like the easiest and cheapest way to heat up a garden. A commercial patio heater costs 300-400 pounds. Cheaper consumer models are about half that, but buy cheap buy twice etc. I was thinking of using a Bushman Burner, basically a posh chiminea, but that costs the same amount of money to buy as a commercial patio heater, takes a long time to warm up and anthracite is expensive.

Am I right? Cost of gas is cheaper and easier to warm patio with? What is the cheapest gas fuel for patio heater?

What about global warming, though I hear it can be quite costly.

valk_scot

As a long time camper and veteran of sitting around outside in all weathers I can assure you that the best system is to heat yourself by wearing appropriately warm clothing and then have some sort of cheerful point source, like a fire bowl or pit. You can burn scrap wood and newspaper bricks in this, making it a very economical option.