Published 03 Jan 2025

Should we leave the heating on for cats and dogs?

A survey by the Energy Saving Trust found that nearly half of pet owners leave the heating on for their dog or cat while they are out for the day. Now that heating is costing us so much money, it is an extravagance that gets harder to afford. It’s estimated that leaving the heating on for your pet will cost around £320 per year.

 


Do we need to leave the heating on for our pets?

Dogs and cats have thick fur coats to keep them warm in the winter, and as you may have noticed from the tufts of fur that fall out in the spring, they grow extra thick coats for the winter. They also have a knack of finding the most comfortable, draught free locations in which to snooze between mealtimes. Cats in particular, are masters at this, even following patches of sunlight as the sun moves around the house during the course of the day. They are also masters at avoiding the draughtiest spots, and unless there is a patch of sunlight to doze on will avoid sleeping on the floor as this is where the coldest currents of air are found.

Where do cold draughts come from? 

It generally goes unnoticed that the worst of our cold draughts are caused by open chimneys. Over 12 million properties in the UK have open chimneys. Having an open chimney is like leaving a window open all the time. Chimneys are designed to actively pull air out of a building, and carry on doing this even when a fire isn’t lit. This escaped warm air generally goes unnoticed, but it needs to be replaced so pulls in cold air from around doors and windows in its wake. This cold air passes through the house via gaps under doors, creating freezing cold draughts at floor level. This is why we get cold feet, why your cat doesn’t sleep on the floor, and why your dog sneaks up onto the sofa.

What can we do to reduce cold draughts in the home? 

I am pleased to say that fitting a Chimney Sheep can make things a whole lot better! Many of our lovely customers get in touch to say they have warm feet at last, and many report turning the thermostat down after fitting a ‘Sheep. Added benefits include a reduction in wind noise and no debris coming down the chimney. So, if you are thinking that leaving the heating on for your dog or cat while you are out for the day is just a tad too extravagant, then perhaps a Chimney Sheep® is the answer!

Natural pet beds

If you already have a ‘Sheep fitted, have you seen our award-winning range of Pet Snug beds? They are made entirely of wool and organic fabric. Even the thread for the stitching is organic cotton. As we know, wool is a natural warm insulator, and breathable. Plus a very useful superpower when it comes to pets: self-cleaning. OK, so it’s not going to vacuum itself, but if you peg it out to air every now and again, the antimicrobial properties of the wool mean the odours waft away.
Take a look at our range, and as we make these in-house, if there’s something you want that you can’t see, get in touch, as we just might be able to make it for you. We like happy customers and warm happy pets 😊

A white cat with yellow eyes, sitting inside a Chimney Sheep PteSnug wool felt cat bed. The bed is sitting on a wooden floor. There is a yellow wool filled cushion inside the bed. There is a black and white cat walking next to the cat inside the bed



A blue roan cocker spaniel lying comfortably in a sustainable, grey wool felted high side round dog bed. The bed also has a yellow cushion in it which is also filled with sheep's wool.

A tricolour border collie dog sits upon a Chimney Sheep luxury wool dog bed. The thick felted wool dog bed rests upon a carpet in front of a log burning stove. The border collie looks forward as it rests upon the rectangular thick woollen dog bed with an organic cotton cover.

 

Sally Phillips

Inventor of Chimney Sheep

chimney sheep
draught excluder
draught proofing
draughts
energy efficiency
energy savings
heating
insulation
pets
PlanetCare Microfibre Filter Starter Kit

PlanetCare Microfibre Filter Starter Kit

44.00 GBP

How does it work?

This ingenious washing machine microfibre filter kit uses cartridges to physically catch and retain the fibres that come loose when you wash your laundry. Each cartridge will last around 15-20 loads of laundry and is easily replaceable in just a couple of minutes.

Fibre retention is based solely on physical retention with the help of clever patent-pending technology.

You can also send the used cartridges back to us and we'll forward them on to PlanetCare. They will ensure that they are reused or recycled.  This ‘closed loop’ system ensures that there is minimum wastage throughout the whole process.

Something to think about:

Doing the laundry can have a huge environmental impact, whether that be using tonnes of energy running the washing machine and tumble drier - or the pollutants that are released from the products you use. Using a microfiber filter is just one way of reducing that impact. Why not make a few more changes - we've tonnes of handy tips in our blog.

 

What's in the box?

You'll get everything you need to fit your PlanetCare washing machine filter with these handy starter kits, meaning you can get it in place and start catching microfibers straight away.

The Mini Starter Kit includes:

  • 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, and 3 filter replacement cartridges.
  •  3 cartridges. These can last up to 60 washes.

The XL Starter Kit includes:

  • 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, and 3 filter replacement cartridges.
  • 13 cartridges. These can last up to 260 washes.

    Note: All the filter cartridges are 100% recycled and refurbished for use again and again via a closed-loop service.

       

      Is it easy to install?

      The microfiber filter is very easy to install. In fact, for most washing machines this process takes less than 10 minutes. The filters are compatible with all types of washing machines.

      There's actually a handy how-to video and a useful installation guide  you can take a peek at if you need a little bit more guidance.

      It’s a good idea to position it high enough above the floor/surface so the cover can be removed to change the filter and position the device so that it is easy to screw the cover back after each filter change.

      Please note: you will need 13 cm on the side of the washing machine and approx. 60 cm in height clearance so that you will be able to easily unscrew the housing and change the filter comfortably.

      The filter must be placed outside the washing machine on the drain hose. It should not be raised above the height of the drain hose exiting the washing machine. The hose length should be held to a minimum. Raising the filter and a long drain hose will both reduce the efficiency of pumping and filtering and should be avoided.

       

      What are the dimensions of the filter housing?

      The filter housing alone, without any attachments, measures the following:

      • height 325 mm, width (hose attachment direction) 122 mm, and depth 130 mm.

       

      Is the microfiber filter easy to use?

      For the first load, just make sure the filter cover is replaced correctly and screwed tight before using the washing machine. Try a short wash and make sure all connections and covers are fixed and watertight.

      It’s also a good idea to hold the top of the device when replacing the filter cover to avoid putting pressure on the bracket fixings when unscrewing the cover.

      After that, you do not need to do anything until the cartridge is full.

      >Easy!

       

      How does the closed-loop system work?

      When your cartridge is full you can send it back to us directly, simply go onto the delivery website Parcel2Go and produce a label to send the cartridges to us, don't forget to include your order details as we'll refund you the postage cost. We then send these off to PlanetCare who disassemble the cartridge and remove the fibres and filtering medium.  This is done in a controlled environment, ensuring that caught fibres do not pollute water or the environment.

       

      What does Planetcare do with the fibres?

      >At the moment PlanetCare is safely storing the used filtered materials. Once they have sufficient quantity, they will reuse/recycle it all. At the moment they are planning to reuse the materials by converting them into insulation mats. But, they're always on the lookout for viable solutions and will choose the best available option to reuse/ recycle the fibres.

      The waste will never be burned or sent to a landfill!

      The remainder of the cartridge is cleaned, and fitted with a new filtering medium ready to be used again.

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