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Natural gas bill reduction

Reduce heating cost

If your heating is gas, this will likely be the most significant part of your gas bill, particularly during the colder months. Try reducing your thermostat setting to the lowest point from 68F (20C) to 75F (24C) that you find comfortable. A rule of thumb is that you can save about 1-2% on your energy bill for every degree you lower your thermostat. We are checking this theory with the analysis we run on the data our members are sharing with us and will update accordingly in the future.

If you have a heating controller that allows you to enter multiple temperature set points and time periods, reduce the temperature set point significantly just before everyone goes to bed and back up just before they rise. A few extra blankets can help keep you warm overnight and can allow you to reduce the temperature by another few degrees. Some smart heating controllers can reduce the heating set point while you are not at home.

You can also mitigate the reduction in overall temperature by providing some local heating, e.g., using an electric blanket where you sleep or a heating pad where you sit.

Central heating is excellent, but not all rooms need the same temperature. One way to control individual room temperatures is to install radiator thermostats or adjust vents/baffles in forced air heating systems. If you have a rarely used room, reduce how much heat is directed to it by closing vents, turning down radiators, and keeping the door closed.

Finally, open your curtains and blinds when the sun is out, and allow the free energy from the sun into your home.

Reduce heat loss

Most modern homes have attic/loft insulation, but the local recommendations on the level of insulation increase over time. Your home might benefit from some additional depth of insulation. Ensure all spaces are properly insulated, as they were only sometimes insulated equally, particularly in older homes. Attic/loft insulation has a good return on investment.

Ensure windows, doors, and other areas in the home are properly sealed and insulated. One way to identify drafts is to blow out a candle close to a door or window and look for the direction the smoke moves.

Close your curtains and blinds at night to add a bit of insulation to your windows. You can close these, day and night, in unused rooms.

Keep the damper closed whenever you aren’t using your fireplace. Even when not used, your chimney can draw warm air from inside your home to the outside.

Reduce hot water cost

Take short showers instead of baths. Showers usually consume less hot water than filling a tub. In addition, if you install a low-flow shower head, the water used reduces further. It’s also possible to install low-flow taps/faucets, which reduce water consumption and the amount of hot water used. Avoid running the hot water straight into the drain. Instead, fill a bowl with only what you need, then let it stand afterwards to release the heat into your home.

Appliance usage

Some clothes dryers use gas to create heat to dry your clothes. Avoid over or under-loading your dryer to reduce drying time, or switch to air drying your clothes. When you run your clothes dryer, clean the lint trap before each run to keep good airflow.

Run your clothes washer at a colder setting. Up to 90% of the electricity used for laundry is heating the water. Modern detergents enable colder wash settings to be effective. You don't need to reserve these lower settings for garments which require special care.

Run your dishwasher only when full and in economy mode. Dishwashers often have an eco or economy mode that uses less energy and water to clean each load. You can also reduce water usage by only scraping dishes before loading and not rinsing them. Rinsing dishes with a running tap is particularly wasteful of both water and energy.

Quick ways to keep warm

When saving money on heating, putting on another layer of clothing is much cheaper and quicker than reaching for the thermostat. It’s also more likely that you will remove that extra layer when you warm up rather than remembering to turn the thermostat back down. Pay particular attention to your hands and feet, which can often feel the cold most. Keep a warm blanket or a heating pad in the chair where you sit the most.

In the summer, humidity makes a hot day feel even hotter. You can use this to your advantage in winter to make a cold day feel slightly warmer. Heating a soup, boiling some healthy vegetables, or making a hot drink can all help increase the humidity inside your home, helping to make it feel warmer. In addition, a warm bowl of soup or a hot drink can warm your hands while you eat or drink.

Invest to reduce your monthly natural gas cost

As technology improves, there are always new things that you can do to make your home more energy efficient.

Here are a few to consider with various levels of investment:

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