PowerSwitch

A local shop is advertisng bar-b-q packs as WINTER HEATING!

We live in unusual times.

Do you have a link or other details ?

Hopefully they are not suggesting that charcoal be burnt indoors, so doing is very dangerous as carbon monoxide is produced, also likely to be a fire risk, and probably no cheaper than gas per unit of heat.

If they ARE suggesting or promoting the indoor burning of charcoal for heating, then that might well be criminal negligence. All disposable barbecues and packs of charcoal that have seen carry a warning against indoor use. Are they removing these warnings ? Or telling people to ignore them ?

A note or phone call to local Trading Standards might be in order as, as Adam says, this could be very dangerous.

"Trading standards bosses are in cahoots with fat cat energy firms as they PROHIBIT sales of money saving invention to hard pressed families"

"rise up against this exploitation NOW and purchase our new and improved organic and eco heating unit"take care to ensue sufficient ventilation, keep away from children, do not eat, gets hot in use, place on fire proof surface

There is generally no adverse reaction locally when Trading Standards do their job. A conviction for endangering life will usually silence any objection.

These people must not have read about the experiences of a Western Sydney family.*1

Western Sydney Family Suffer Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Amid Cost Of Living Pressure
“Close to being a complete tragedy”

Mr Nawaseri said he just wanted his family to be warm.
“I wanted to make my son warm because at night time it was so cold,” he told The Daily Telegraph. *2

“(It’s) very expensive, the gas and everything.”
“A lot of people’s heaters do not work and they don’t have enough money to pay," he said.

*1 - Western Sydney is known in Australia for it's somewhat unusual populace, supposedly lacking in intelligence and awareness of Australian culture and habits.

*2 - A somewhat more downmarket tabloid version of its UK namesake. But still fairly right wing.