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Do you want to know how to save money on your gas bill? If then, you’re at the right place. You should be lucky if your house is lit by natural gas. You spend less yearly since it’s three to four times less expensive than heating it with power. But compared to summer, you might take up to seven times as much gas in the winter, which can greatly raise your annual energy costs. To help you be as cost-effective as possible, here are 11 easy ways to save money on your gas bill.
Tips to Save Money on Your Gas Bill
Regardless of the season, there are a few ways to optimise your home so that it uses less gas when winter arrives. You can start implementing the following ways to save money on your gas bill even during warmer months so that you can fully prepare when it gets cold.
Perform an Energy Audit
Although you can pay a professional to perform an energy audit of your home, it also has the potential to do this and save a bit of money. To properly audit your home, you need to go around each room and check any places where there could be possible leaks to the outside. These include:
- Windows
- External doors
- Air vents
- Electrical outlets
- Pipes and plumbing
Block any Air Leaks
If you find cold air is seeping around any of these places checked in your audit, you’ll need to block them up. This could mean using specialised canned spray foam or glue to stop air from entering any pipes, putting insulation around your electrical outlets, and using pressure-sensitive plastic or rubber weather strips around your window and door frames. Leaky windows and doors are often the main causes of air leaks. According to Energy.gov, they can add 10 to 25% to your energy bill if not properly sealed; thus, check them carefully.
Invest in a Smart Thermostat
Optimising your thermostat use is one of the best ways to reduce gas bills. This means heating your house when you’re using it and keeping it cool while you’re away, and—if you want to go the extra mile—heating specific rooms when they’re in use while keeping other rooms cool.
Investing in a smart thermostat is the best way to do this. Smart thermostats link to the WiFi and are controlled from your phone, laptop, or computer. This means you can change your home’s temperature whether you’re there or not, allowing for much freedom that regular thermostats simply can’t provide.
Many smart thermostats also offer what’s referred to as “multi-zone functionality,” which allows you to set the temperature of individual rooms. The more modern ones also track your heating use over time and build a custom heating and cooling plan for your needs.
Switch Gas Providers
One of the easier ways to save money on your gas bill is to ensure you’re on the most cost-efficient plan. If you’ve been on the same rate for a long time, there’s a good chance you’re paying more than you need to. This is because there’s usually quite a gap between the normal changeable rates most gas companies give and the cheapest set plans on the market.
How to Lower Your Gas Bill in Winter?
Having prepared your home for the coming winter, you can now do a few things during the colder months to reduce your gas bill. From reusing any heat you’ve already generated to making intelligent clothing choices, you may be surprised by some tips we suggest to save on your gas bill in winter!
Regulate Your Thermostat
Whether you have a traditional or smart thermostat, controlling the amount you set it to is one of the easiest ways to reduce your gas bill. To save some money, try dropping the temperature of your thermostat by one degree each week so that you and anyone else living in your home can finally feel happy with the house being warm at 68°F (20°C). When no one is at home, lower it to around 55°F (13°C), as heating your home during this time wastes energy. When everyone is asleep, consider setting your temperature to around 60°F (15–16°C), and if possible, make it to be around 68°F (20°C) an hour before the first person gets up.
Don’t Use Your Wood-Burning Fireplace
While they may feel like they’re creating a lot of heat, if you’re lucky enough to own a wood-burning stove, it’s best to use it carefully. Because 80% of all the heat it generates through the chimney. What’s more, as the hot air leaves, it sucks in cold air from the outside through any gaps around your windows, doors, and air vents. As a result, you use a lot more energy and damage the environment when using a wood-burning stove.
Dress for Warmth
One of the best ways to save money on your gas bill is to avoid needlessly changing your boiler and ensure you’re appropriately dressed during the winter. While it may sound clear, you can save much money on your gas bill by investing in a good pair of merino wool socks, a heavy chair, or a fleece blanket.
If you’re serious about dressing smartly when it’s cold outside, here are a few things you might want to buy to take your indoor clothing game to the next level:
- Thermal leggings
- Long underwear
- A wool shawl
- A cashmere beanie
- Merino wool slippers
Use a Portable Electric Heater
If you live alone or are the only person in the house for extended periods, it might be worth considering purchasing a portable electric heater. This is a great budgeting tip since instead of heating your entire home with central heating; you can simply heat the room you’re in and save money on your gas bill.
However, it’s essential not to leave your portable electric heater unsupervised. If you leave the room, turn it off beforehand, as it can be a fire hazard.
Reuse Any Heat You’ve Already Generated
An often overlooked suggestion is that reusing the heat you’ve created from things like cooking in the oven or having a hot shower can increase the overall temperature of your home. After cooking something, keep the oven door open so the hot air can move through the kitchen and beyond. After a hot shower, keep the bathroom door open so that the heat can move into the other rooms in your house.
Close Your Curtains at Night
When the sun sets down, the outside temperature falls rapidly. As a result, it’s a good idea to keep your blinds or curtains drawn once it becomes dark. Curtains and blinds help keep cooler air from entering your rooms, keeping your home warmer overall.
Invest in Thermal Curtains or Insulated Window Panels
One last tip? Invest in some thermal-insulated curtains. These curtains usually have a high-density foam core that prevents heat from leaving the room. Thanks to their extra layer, they also help block outside noise from entering your home.
If you want to take things one step further, consider insulating panels for your windows. These foam pieces are made to size and pressed closely against your windows with strips of magnetic tape. They prevent even more cold air from entering your home and warm your room. However, while they’re useful, they’re usually not as visually lovely as regular curtains!
Save on Your Gas Bill by Replacing Your Old Boiler
Replace Your Gas Boiler Today!
If you have an old boiler, now is an excellent time to consider replacing it with a modern and efficient one.
Heating technology has improved tremendously in the previous several years, and current boilers are much more efficient. If you have an antique boiler, it will have older, less efficient technology. In addition, boilers tend to lose some efficiency with time, and you have a formula for substantially higher operating expenses than a new replacement.
Modern A-rated boilers must be at least 92% efficient, which indicates that just 8p in every £1 is wasted in the heating process. An ancient G-rated boiler that’s just 70% efficient would squander 30p for every £1. Thus, the savings may quickly build up.
If you switch a G-rated boiler for an A-rated one, you’ll save money on your gas bill. And with the present price of gas, the savings are likely to be considerably larger than this!
Explore Energy Efficiency Grants Scheme To Reduce Your Gas Bill
Luckily, the UK government has launched a free boiler grant scheme under the Energy Company Obligation( ECO4) scheme to address the major concern of high bills and carbon emissions. If you are a low-income household with a non-condensing old boiler and living in fuel poverty, you can be eligible to get a modern, energy-efficient boiler free of cost. This will reduce your gas bills and lower carbon emissions.
Conclusion
However, we cannot control the current gas price. But, by adopting simple ways to save money on your gas bill, optimise the energy efficiency of our heating systems to get more bang for your buck. By investing in smart thermostats, using home insulation measures, and blocking air leaks, you can make a substantial difference with as many tips as possible. Another way to work out how to reduce your gas bill is to have a yearly service by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. If you have an outdated boiler, it may be a big factor, and you must immediately replace it with an efficient one. Consider the government’s free boiler grant scheme if you are not within budget to buy a modern one.
