Gas consumption represents an increasingly large part of a household’s budget. Heating, toilet, kitchen: the use of gas is daily. We dream of reducing our bill, but without losing comfort! The good news is that it is possible to significantly reduce your gas consumption without turning your home into a fridge or taking a cold shower! We offer you 10 tips and tricks to melt your gas bill.
1 – Optimize the efficiency of your gas heating
Heating alone accounts for 62% of your home’s energy costs.
Improve the energy efficiency of your radiators
- Clean and dust the radiator vents (on top) twice a year.
- Do not put anything on your radiators. Instead, dry your laundry on a clothes rack…
- Purge your radiators once a year, before the cold season.
- Do not stick any furniture against a radiator and do not put anything on the ground in front of a radiator. The circulation of heat must be free.
- Don’t let curtains that are too long cover a radiator.
Reduce boiler consumption
The first thing is to have the condition of your boiler checked regularly, once a year. Mandatory, this maintenance must be done by a licensed professional. Know that a well regulated and maintained boiler saves you 8 to 12% of your gas consumption. Not to mention the safety benefit.
2 – Control your heating
The way you heat yourself has a direct impact on your consumption.
Lower the room temperature
This is where there are big savings to be made! Imagine that by lowering your heating by 1°C, you save 7 to 8% on your heating budget. You can save even more by adapting the temperature according to the use of the rooms.
- In a living room, such as the dining room, a temperature of 18 to 19°C is sufficient.
- As for the rooms, unused during the day, they can remain at 16 or 17 ° C.
- The bathroom can also stay at 17°C during the day; just turn up the heating when you want to use it (between 20 and 22°C).
- When you are away for several days, set your heating to frost protection mode.
Ventilate your home
No, you’re not dreaming ! Housing that is ventilated 10 minutes a day is less humid (with also less indoor pollution). Drier, your home heats up faster and better. And you spend less on heating!
Install a thermostat
Do not hesitate to install a thermostat to control your consumption related to heating as well as possible. The ideal is a connected thermostat that you can control remotely from your smartphone, for example.
3 – Limit gas consumption for hot water production
How ? By making adjustments and installing some small equipment that will reduce the production of hot water, and therefore gas.
- Set the hot water temperature at the water heater. It should be between 55 and 60°C. Not below, at the risk that certain bacteria develop. But no more than 60°C: it’s useless and it consumes a lot more gas!
- do not forget to calorifuger your hot water tank and distribution piping. It is a question of isolating them by wrapping them in rolls of fibres. The water is cooled by circulating for a long time in the pipes… In this way, it will stay warm.
- Opt for a ballon whose size is proportionate to your consumption. Have your children left home? A smaller balloon will save you money.
- If you are away for at least two days, turn off your water heater.
- In your douche, install an energy-saving showerhead to reduce the flow of water (how beautiful!). A stop-shower system allows you to stop the water during shampoo, for example, with the promise of finding the right temperature… No need to run hot water that you don’t use.
- Also put a mixer tap thermostatic, you will make real savings: 30% less hot water!
- Add to faucets water-saving aerators. These inexpensive little appliances reduce hot water consumption without limiting the flow rate. Their thing? They inject air into the water!
4 – Reduce your domestic hot water consumption
Consuming less hot water means consuming less gas. A few tips for gently reducing hot water consumption, which still represents 15% of your gas consumption…
- Spend less time under the douche. You already know that a shower uses four times less hot water than a bath. But a short shower consumes even less than a long one, right? Do not exceed 3 or 4 minutes and you will be the kings of oil.
- And why not just wash at faucet once a week ? The main thing is to be clean.
- Wash your hands with water cold (no no, it does not damage the skin).
- In the morning, fill a Thermos with hot water for your small daily needs, in particular the brushing of dents. This will prevent you from running the tap and straining your gas production. We often spend several liters just to rinse our mouths!
5 – Save cooking gas
A household spends 7% of its energy in the kitchen just to cook food. With a few tips, you will be able to cook without spending too much gas.
- When you cook, cover systematically pots and pans. The air of nothing, you store the heat and save the gas.
- Adapt it cut of your cooking utensils to the size of the burners. This will prevent energy loss.
- Frequently clean the burners of your stove. Don’t wait for the small blue flame to turn yellow, a sign of fouling!
- Bring out your cocote-minute. Cooking will be much faster, and gas consumption downright reduced! Know that the good old casserole is 60% more economical than a saucepan. So to cook your vegetables, “there’s no picture”!
- Need to cook food in boiling water? Start by heating the water kettle (quick and economical) before transferring it to a saucepan. You will save cooking time and… gas!
6 – Insulate your home of course!
Since gas is mainly used to heat housing, thermal insulation is the key to savings.
- Isolate them Windows. If you haven’t already, install double glazing. Close the shutters at night and don’t forget to put up good curtains.
- Pay attention to energy losses through the porte. Caulk the underside of the door well.
- Big savings require big works : insulate the attic, the roof, the exterior walls and the floor. All of this should have a significant impact on your gas bill, especially in the long run.
7 – Compare energy offers
Don’t forget that the energy market has been open to competition since 2007. Switching from one supplier to another is simple, with no loss of supply. No cuts expected. Study the different offers and use the competition to your advantage. Without changing supplier, you can also ask them to review your contract. It is possible that yours is no longer suitable for your current consumption. The energy supplier sets the prices; it’s up to you to fully play your role of vigilant customer.
8 – Prefer natural gas
Natural gas is always cheaper than propane. No need for storage tank, no additional costs. If your home cannot be connected to a natural gas network, check that propane costs do not increase your bill excessively. In any case, take advantage of the low season (from May to September) to order propane. Also consider other sources of energy. Electricity is now cheaper than propane and solar energy can cover at least half of a family’s Chade water needs…
9 – Consider the energy label
If you have to choose a new home, as an owner or tenant, pay attention to its energy performance. The DPE informs you of various points which will have an impact on your gas consumption. You will be able to assess in advance the level of energy bill that awaits you. The energy label informs you about the energy performance according to a scale which goes from class A (the most economical) to class G (the worst). The climate label indicates the level of greenhouse gas emissions, also from A to G.
10 – Stay connected to technological innovations
We can’t stop progress, especially when it comes to energy saving. Your gas bill can be reduced with some great innovations. Here are some promising inventions:
- The recycling shower, which saves up to 80% water – and as much gas – compared to a conventional shower. It collects the water and filters it for later use. This system is content with 5 liters for a shower, against about thirty liters usually.
- The heat pump with very high energy performance currently moved into new buildings with more than thirty apartments. It produces domestic hot water from gray water which it transforms into mains water. In the end, huge energy savings!
- And it’s not over ! Be careful, human denial has not finished looking for innovative, ecological and economical solutions…