A £35 energy gadget helped cut my bills by £145 a year – I really use my central heating a lot less
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ENERGY savvy grandad Bob Dickman has used a cheap gadget to help reduce his gas and electricity bills by £150. It’s just one of the measures that the dad of four has done on his home to help make it more energy efficient. The 93-year-old who lives in a rural – and very remote – property in Cumbria, in the Lake District.
![[Grandad Bob Dickman is an energy-saving whizz]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_8150_20c955.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Bob told The Sun: “Around 11 years ago, I invested in a clever little excluder for my flue. "This contraption has made a real difference as it means my home is a lot less draughty.”. Back in 2014, Bob paid around £25 for a rectangular 8-inch-by-20-inch Chimney Sheep. (This model retails at £35 today).
These "sheep" are made from a natural breathable wool. They allow air to pass through, but keep the heat in. According to calculations by Liverpool University, in 2014, a Chimney Sheep would have saved a household £64 a year on their energy bills. Further analysis by the university shows that at today’s rates, this figure would be closer to an average of £150 a year.
Based on this, over the 11 years that Bob has owned his excluder, he has saved at least £600 – and possibly closer to £1,000. When Bob had the fireplace put in, he opted for a fairly wide design so that large logs would fit in. He said: “It’s a Baxi-type fireplace, designed to maximise heat output out.
