If you have a chimney, it is possible to stop heat escaping out of it by using Chimney Sheep, an affordable and environmentally friendly draught excluder made from 100 per cent wool.
With cold weather predicted to hit this month and temperatures expected to drop further, sales of Chimney Sheep have risen by almost 50 per cent in two months with a spike over the last few days as the first bout of wintry weather kicks in.
Almost 5,500 Chimney Sheep users have saved more than £355,000 on their energy bills in the last year by preventing the loss of centrally heated air through their chimney.
Inventor Sally Phillips said: “Last year we sold around 2,200 in the entire year but in the last two months alone we have sold almost 3,300. Our sales have taken another leap this week as cold and windy weather has arrived in force. People are definitely looking for any possible way to keep their homes warm and save money.”
Research by the University of Liverpool has found that the Chimney Sheep saves the average homeowner up to £65 a year on heating bills.
Sally came up with the idea after becoming frustrated at the amount of money she was spending on insulating her home whilst helplessly watching warm air escape through her chimney.
The device prevents the loss of four per cent of household heat through the chimney – a figure which increases for houses with more than one chimney. Due to the pressure created by differing temperatures inside and outside, an average of 40 cubic metres of warm air rises up and out of the chimney within an hour. The figure changes dependent on the temperature differences, the size of the flue and the height of the chimney.
Sally said that as the Chimney Sheep is made of thick flame retardant wool felt, it is able to temporarily block a chimney to provide maximum insulation with its air-tight but breathable snug fit, unlike other draught excluders made from alternative materials.
Last month, the invention was awarded a Green Economy Award for energy efficiency; a breakthrough for Sally who has been campaigning for chimney draught products to be acknowledged by the government as a form of insulation, meaning they would be subject to a lower VAT rate.
The cost of a Chimney Sheep ranges from £15 – £65 and there are different dimensions available to fit all chimney shapes and sizes.
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