As the heating season is well under way and utility prices have sky-rocketed, many have resorted to crazy and life-threatening solutions to skimp on bills.

As Europe is now engulfed by permanently cold weather, people are forced to increase their gas usage to keep their homes warm. The price of gas, however, is several times higher than this time last year due to the sanctions policy and the resulting energy crisis, with many already having difficulties in paying their bills.

In addition, millions of German households must also factor in a significant rise in the price of gas and electricity early next year. Electricity will cost 61 per cent more on average, with the price of gas increasing by 54 per cent. This represents an additional cost of hundreds of euros, according to the Verivox comparison portal. The portal, in calculating the costs associated with heating a house requiring 20 thousand kilowatt hours per year, arrived at the conclusion that the bills of such a household may rise by 1247 euros per year.

The owners of such households may try and find lower fees, but almost all service providers have significantly increased their prices. That is why a growing number of people are trying to keep their homes warm by applying some alternative methods, which are – in most cases – truly hazardous.

Jorg Dindorf, a fireman in the town of Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate state, told about the crazy ideas people give each other on social media.

They encourage each other to use various outdoor equipment indoors, such as charcoal grills or patio heaters, which run on gas cylinders.

Dindorf called attention to the fact that these solutions often lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. They have been called to many similar cases, and carbon monoxide has claimed numerous lives. The most popular technique by which people are trying to reduce their bills is the ‘tea candle fireplace,’ which may pose the greatest risk this year according to experts, as the parts are cheap and can be purchased easily at any store.

Mr Dindorf emphasized that it is very easy to knock over these makeshift mini-stoves by accident and it only takes a few seconds for the whole apartment to catch fire. When the fire occurs in an apartment building, those who wish to save on energy will endanger not only their own, but also their neighbours’ lives. The fireman expects the number of fire accidents to rise significantly this winter.

Insurance companies agree with this, fearing that house fires will pose the greatest risk this winter. Jorg Asmussen, managing director of the German Insurance Association, told the press that

„we are concerned to see the types of adventurous means that some tenants and homeowners are resorting to. We strongly discourage any dangerous experiments”.

Those who have a fireplace at home are likely to light them up again using wood, even if it has been out of use for years, or even decades. With time, however, chimneys may get damaged or blocked, and using a fireplace without a prior professional inspection can be perilous.

„Unfortunately, we have noticed that rather many people are putting their wood-burning stoves back into operation without an inspection taking place. This is illegal and a fire hazard because of bird nests, wasp nests or other blockages in an unused chimney,”

said Daniel Furst, a master chimney sweep and chairman of the professional association. If chimneys are left unchecked in terms of whether the exhaust gases can exit freely and unobstructed, there is a risk that carbon monoxide will remain in the residential unit, he warned. The expert also pointed to another risk: deposited soot that has not been completely burned remains flammable for a long time. If it is not removed with professional care, a chimney fire may occur, the chimney may crack and the ceiling may catch fire.