Looking for ways how to decrease gas bills? Then, you’re in the right place! Due to the high rise in gas and electricity costs, people are seeking solutions to reduce their gas use at home. So the government of the UK has launched the ECO4 free boiler grant scheme to help low-income households who can’t afford the cost of new energy-efficient boilers. If you are eligible for this scheme, you can get A-rated boilers which use less energy and reduce high bills.
In this guide, we’ll discuss several ways to lower the cost of your gas boiler, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide your home emits, and consider ECO4 green boiler choices.
So, let’s look into it. It won’t require you to rip out your whole central heating system to lower your home’s gas use.
Why Should We Want to Reduce Our Gas Usage?
There are many reasons to reduce the quantities of fossil fuels used to heat our homes.
Rising Energy Prices
Many people are worried about how they’ll pay for their central heating now that energy prices are going up so quickly, especially in 2024.
Climate Change
By using less gas for central heating, we can save money and help the environment.
The fossil fuels business is undoubtedly a major cause of the climate crisis. One of the main causes of global warming is our use of natural gas, crude oil, and other fuels.
As government goals to reach net zero come into play over the next few years, lowering our carbon footprint will become more and more important.
How Can You Reduce Your Household’s Gas Usage
There are some smart solutions for the answer to how to decrease gas bills? You can use it to make your home all year long more energy efficient so that you use less gas when winter comes. For the best possible preparation when it gets cold, you can use these tips even when it’s warmer outside.
Reaching Net Zero Emissions!
Invest in a Smart Thermostat
Get a smart thermostat to reduce your home’s gas heating use. You can control it remotely with the internet and a phone or tablet app. You can also turn off and on your central heating when you leave and return.
If you forget to turn off your storage heaters or radiators before leaving the house, you can modify them remotely with a few clicks. Some smart thermostats allow “multi-zone functionality” to control house temperatures. This way, you’ll never overpay for heating or hot water.
Therefore, smart thermostats like the Google Nest can help you save money on energy costs and fight climate change while keeping your home warm.
Do An Energy Audit
An energy audit checks your home for cracks or gaps where warm air could pass through. An energy audit can be done professionally, but it’s easy if you know what to look for.
To do a complete energy audit, you have to inspect the following areas for leaks:
- Windows
- Doors
- Air vents and extractor fans
- Power sockets
- Pipes and plumbing
If you keep your home warmer, you will need less energy to heat it, which will mean your family will use less gas.
Upgrade Your Home's Insulation
You can make your home much more energy efficient by putting good insulation in as many places as possible. Double glazing and cavity walls are two ways that everyone knows about, but there are a lot more that we can use.
On top of that, we can lower our energy use and heating bills by making sure that walls, doors, ceilings, and windows are better insulated so that less heat can leave.
Consider Getting a New Boiler
A faulty boiler will raise your heating bill. This could be due to poor maintenance or age. No matter the reason, a new boiler will function better, lower your heating bills, and reduce your carbon impact.
EDF Energy found that older boilers are 65% efficient and new ones 95% efficient.
A new boiler could lower your energy expenditures over time. If you sell your home, a low-energy combi boiler will increase its value and appeal to purchasers.
Hybrid Heating Systems
Best-of-both-worlds hybrid heating systems utilise less natural gas. Any house heating system that uses a heat pump plus another heat source is a “hybrid heating system”.
Hybrid heating systems usually use a gas or oil boiler and an air-source heat pump.
More than 80% of UK homes were built before 1960 and aren’t energy efficient, so a heat pump may not be enough for central heating. Uninsulated walls, windows, and flooring let too much pump heat escape.
A hybrid heating system can make older homes more energy-efficient when the main infrastructure can’t be replaced.
The Best Alternatives to Gas Boilers
There are other choices if you really want to get rid of your gas or oil boiler. But make sure you know what problems might come up when you switch to a different type of central heating system. Because you can’t stop working on it once you begin, always have a trained engineer do a full survey.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps can replace boilers. They process outside heat and use electricity to heat your home.
The main types are air-source and ground-source heat pumps. Air-source heat pumps heat water using outside air heat. Your home’s radiators and ground heating systems heat the water. Air-source heat pumps can heat -15°C air, which is astounding!
On the other hand, ground-source heat pumps exist. They are the same heat pump, except water flows through ground lines to heat them.
The amount by which heat pumps cut your gas price depends on the type of pump, the energy efficiency of your home, and your electricity rate.
Biomass Boilers
Biomass boilers are another source of clean energy because they burn dead plants, wood, and other organic materials to make power. Although they do produce carbon dioxide when they work, it is much less than that produced by burning fossil fuels, so they are considered a low-carbon heating system.
There are different ways to use a biomass boiler. It can be used as a heat source for single rooms or with a back boiler to heat whole houses.
How much money you save with a biomass boiler will depend on the size of your home and the kind of boiler you already have. A biomass boiler is unlikely to be cheaper than a modern gas boiler that condenses the waste heat.
Conclusion
Finally, we are done with the chapter on how to decrease gas bills. People who get their energy from gas alone or gas and power together want to cut back on their gas use right now. Various individuals have different reasons, but what most UK households have in common is a sense of unmatched urgency about the need to lower our energy bills and safeguard the environment against climate change.
This is where we admit that things are not easy. Aiming to make things easier and more fair for UK homeowners, the government ECO4 scheme offers straightforward home heating options that can help lower energy bills and lessen reliance on natural gas sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Decrease Gas Usage?
You can reduce your gas usage in numerous ways. Installing a new, energy-efficient boiler from us is ideal. Installing attic and wall insulation reduces energy usage. This will prevent heat loss and make it easier to maintain a pleasant temperature without using much energy.
What Uses The Most Gas In The House?
The central heating system is your home’s biggest gas user, including radiators, underfloor heating pipes, and hot water sources. To lower your monthly gas bills, you need to make your home more energy-efficient and choose an energy-efficient boiler.
What Should I Do to Update My Boiler to Lower My Gas Bill?
You can apply for the government ECO4 free boiler scheme if you’re a low-income household in the UK. To apply, you must own the property with a low EPC rating where you want to upgrade the boiler and plan to build a fossil fuel-free heating system.
The timeframe can vary depending on the workload of your chosen installer and the availability of boilers. However, once your application is approved, you can expect the installation in a few days.
Anyone who has a boiler installed before 2005 or has an inefficient boiler can qualify for a boiler grant in the UK. To meet the requirements, you must be a homeowner or private tenant of the home in the UK.
The ECO4 Scheme is a government-funded program that provides grants and funding to homeowners in Scotland, who want to install energy-saving measures in their homes. The aim of the Eco4 scheme is to help people reduce their energy consumption and save money on their energy bills.
Yes, it’s quite easy. You should regularly check that the evaporator and air intake grill are clear of leaves and other particles.
To be eligible for a first time central heating grant, you must not have prior central heating installed in your homes. Also your home’s EPC rating should be lower than D.
