Scots who follow the fashion for patio heaters are fuelling rising carbon emissions, a leading energy watchdog has warned.
More than 160,000 households in Scotland own or plan to buy a heater for their garden, according to a survey by the Energy Savings Trust.
The devices will emit 7700 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year - equivalent to an average car driving from Glasgow to John O'Groats and back 43,000 times.
Consumers should "wear a jumper instead" said the trust, which is calling on the UK's garden centres, homeware and DIY stores to stop selling the heaters.
The average patio heater is used for only two months of the year but in that time emits as much CO2 as a gas hob uses in six months.
Yet ownership of patio heaters in Scotland is set to more than double from 60,000 to 161,000, according to the trust's new Green Barometer report, which was based on a sample of 1192 households.
Mike Thornton, head of the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland, said: "We all know Scotland gets cold sometimes but why don't people just wear a jumper?
"While patio heaters are not by any means the most damaging appliance to the environment, ditching the patio heater is an easy way of cutting down on your home energy use."
He added: "We are calling on responsible retailers to reconsider the sale of patio heaters in light of the substantial amount of carbon emissions they produce."
According to the trust, the rise in popularity of heaters is partly fuelled by pubs, cafés and hotels which are installing them to help smokers keep warm.
About one in six (17%) of pub-goers who like to sit outside in Scotland choose pubs where there is a heater. Mr Thornton called on commercial operators to think twice before installing them.
He said: "Landlords are helping to make patio heaters desirable - which they are not.
"Commercial heaters are larger than domestic patio heaters and used more often.
"With 5151 pubs, 2260 hotels, 1532 restaurants, the potential for growth in CO2 emissions from heaters used by the hospitality sector compounds the domestic problem."
Pressure has been growing on retailers to withdraw heaters from their stores since Easter, when Wyevale Garden Centres announced it would no longer stock them.
But yesterday, B&Q, one of the UK's biggest sellers of outdoor heaters, said they had no plans to stop selling them in their stores.
A spokeswoman said: "B&Q will continue to sell outdoor heaters to customers who wish to purchase them, alongside our range of outdoor fire pits and chimineas.
"We want to ensure that by providing the right information, our customers can make informed decisions; we do not dictate what customers buy and do at home.
"Our approach is to work with our suppliers to encourage them to continually improve the efficiency of the products we sell.
"B&Q's range of outdoor heaters includes adjustable heat settings as well as deeper hoods, both designed to improve the energy efficiency of the product."
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