Summer is a wonderful time for al fresco dining, when the long, light evenings and warm sunshine can make the experience very pleasant, not to mention reducing the Covid risks, even if fewer are taking notice of these despite the recent rise in cases.

With an apparent heatwave upon us, July should be a particularly nice time to be out there, with most of the country seeing the sun remaining above the horizon until after 9pm until at least the end of the month or even, in the case of the north, into early August. 

However, the sad truth is that this will not last. The nights will gradually draw in, the sunset will get earlier and, more importantly, the temperature will drop. Dining or drinking outdoors will become less fun, especially in the evenings, unless you increase the temperature artificially.

That is why now is an opportune time to get some heat lamps fixed on your outdoor tables and shelters, but it is also important to get shatterproof light colours with them. 

The reasons for this are simple: Not only do the lights add a bit of attractive colour on dull grey autumnal evenings, but the shatterproof coatings reduce the risk of accidents breaking them, which might otherwise harm the heaters and reduce by one the number of warm outdoor tables the establishment can offer every time this happens.

Heating is expected to be very costly this winter as issues concerning Russian gas and even a strike by Norwegian gas workers could hike prices up even more than feared. Based on these factors, analysts Cornwall Insight are now predicting an October energy price cap rise that would push average annual costs above £3,300 for domestic users.

All this will affect commercial energy users too, so it makes sense that your investment in new heating equipment is as robust as possible, in order that the cost of using it is not compounded by the expense of replacing damaged or broken appliances.