9 tips to reduce your gas bill

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save on your gas bill easily, and most of them won’t make much of a difference to your consumption or lifestyle. So if you want to start saving, keep reading, at Espígul we’ll tell you everything!

In addition, not only will you be able to pay less on your bills, but by following our advice and making more efficient use of energy, you will also be contributing to protecting the environment and taking care of our planet.

• Heating temperature
  

Just as in summer it is important that you adjust the temperature of the air conditioning so as not to have an excessive cost, in winter it is time to adjust the temperature of the heating.

The ideal temperature to maintain a comfortable environment is between 21ºC and 23ºC during the day and around 17ºC at night.. It is important that you know that each degree that you add more increases energy consumption by around 7%.

• Adjust heater temperature
  

In addition to adjusting the thermostat, it is also important that we look at the temperature of the heater.

Set it to a maximum of 45 ºC, since a higher temperature will considerably increase gas consumption and it is usual that you never use such high temperatures.

• Insulation of doors and windows
  

Before starting the heating, make sure there are no escape routes. That is, that all doors and windows have a good insulation system without cracks.

It is important that the heat generated is retained so that the boiler can rest when the comfort temperature of the room is achieved. In the same way that when we do not rest well, we suffer the consequences during the day, if your boiler cannot rest optimally, you will see it reflected in the invoice.

• Concentrate and take advantage of the heat
  

In the same way that it is important to have good insulation, it is key to concentrate the heat in the areas used. That is, if we are only using the living room, we do not need to heat the rooms. If we close the doors, we manage to concentrate the heat so that it retains the desired temperature for longer.

Another recommended trick is to take advantage of other heat sources such as the oven when we finish cooking. If the heat is concentrated in the kitchen, we can have lunch or dinner there instead of in the living room.

• Take advantage of the sun
  

The sun is the greatest natural source of heat that we have. Take advantage of the sunniest hours to raise the blinds, especially in the windows with more light.

This will help maintain room temperature so the boiler is not running all day. Along the same lines, ventilate the home at these hours close to noon, when the humidity and cold of the early morning have gone.

• Clear the radiators
  

Although for some it is common to take advantage of the heat from the radiator for other tasks (such as heating or drying a textile item), this hinders its main objective: heating the room.

Make sure there is nothing blocking the heat output from the radiators. And, in the event that you detect a malfunction, it is best to notify a technician to carry out the relevant review.

• Use a portable electric stove
  

If you live alone or spend a lot of time at home when no one else is around, it may be worth your while to buy a portable electric stove. This is a very useful saving tip, since instead of heating the whole house with central heating, you can only heat the room you are occupying and save a big buck on your gas bill.

But remember that you should not leave the stove unattended when you are not there. If you leave the room, do not forget to turn it off beforehand, otherwise you could start a fire.

• Put the faucets in cold water position
  

We don’t usually pay attention to this detail, but although on some occasions we don’t need hot water, having the tap in that position turns the heater on automatically every time we open it.

Even if it is not on for a long time, every time the heater starts, it generates gas consumption. If you turn the faucets to the cold water position, the heater will only come on when you really need it.

• Compare prices before hiring
  

Unlike electricity rates, we cannot choose the gas access rates, but are assigned by the distributor based on our annual consumption.

For this reason, it is important to look at the prices offered by the different marketers; both in the price of the fixed term of gas and in that of the variable term.

We hope that these tips have been useful to you and that this winter you will be able to keep your home at a good temperature without the price of the invoice skyrocketing.