A real fire is just thing as the nights draw in – and it can help keep the costs of winter heating bills down too

Never mind the dust and smoke, just think what you’ll save on heating bills. And your toes will be toasty.

Fuel prices are rocketing. Many people face a real challenge in keeping warm.

And though I’m a great believer in wrapping up before adjusting the thermostat, there is a limit to how many jumpers and gloves and socks you can wear and still get on with your daily tasks. Typing in gloves – tricky. Peeling potatoes – trickier.

Real fires cost coal and logs, of course – and the cost of logs has soared with demand since so many people bought wood-burning stoves – but you can still keep warm on the cheap, especially if, like me, you’re a peasant with a peasant’s scavenging instincts. I’m not proud.

While the energy bills soar, there is still masses of free fuel available, just lying around, or being thrown away.

Every walk produces a couple of logs or a branch or two. Washed up wood from the beach produces lovely snappy blue sparks.

Our old fence provided brilliant kindling for an entire winter.

Last weekend, we were keeping warm courtesy of bits of old bed, last year’s Christmas tree and a neighbour’s old skirting boards.

Blissful and free.

As students in a freezing Victorian house, we would raid skips for firewood, greengrocers for orange boxes and then fry sausages in the tiny tiled fireplace of what had once been a rather grand bedroom.

There is so much old wood just lying around doing nothing. Waste not, want not.

Makes good sense to burn it, save landfill, keep warm and wave two fingers at the energy companies. So very satisfying.

Especially if, like us, you’re plagued with power cuts, often lasting a whole day or more.

The trouble is that most modern houses aren’t designed with a fireplace and a chimney.

Maybe they should be. If we all had one room with a fire that we only used occasionally or in emergencies, it could make a real difference, especially if we have another bitter winter.

I spotted an abandoned pallet on the way home yesterday. If I can just fit that into the car, that’s another few nights’ warmth for nothing...