Save on your gas bill | The best methods of 2023

Save on your gas bill | The best methods of 2023

In this March update, in the concluding part of the article, we reported the factors that influence the price of natural gas.

Although some positive signs have arrived in this very first part of 2023, which bode well for the coming months , the phenomenon of higher bills is still on the agenda, also because it affects millions of Italian families. In fact, in addition to the numerous problems that populate the local and national newspapers, for about a year now it has also been necessary to consume less electricity or gas in order not to end up with an excessively expensive bill. In 2022 we witnessed a significant increase in gas prices which, in purely monetary terms, translated into an annual expenditure of over €1,000 more than in previous years, obviously with the same consumption.

Read also: Save on your electricity bill | The best methods of 2023 Gas is one of the indispensable elements for living today, as it serves not only to increase the temperature of one's home, but also to cook any food with a gas stove. For this reason, we have decided to offer you a small list of products that can improve the efficiency of your home, so as to allow you to mitigate the phenomenon of rising bills as much as possible. In any case, some of these suggestions can always be applied by families, even when or if the inflation problem should be solved.

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Save on your gas bill

heat for stoves Hot air generator Low consumption fan heater Electric stove Thermostat Flow limiter for shower Solar thermal panel

Heat diffuser for stoves

If you want to consume less gas, we advise you to first buy a good heat diffuser for stoves. It is the ideal product for distributing heat quickly and evenly, made entirely of stainless steel, which is why it is resistant and at the same time durable over time. It is suitable for any existing material, such as iron and ceramics. Thanks to its design, this item is safe and above all, easy to use. Clearly, it is possible to use it with different hobs, such as induction, gas and electric hobs.

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Hot air generator

Are you afraid of higher bills? An intelligent way to save on gas could be to equip yourself with a hot air generator like the one we reported. The advantage of this product is the total absence of smoke, odors and condensation, as well as operating silently. Of course, it is an article more suitable for work environments, but the fact remains that you can also use it at home, because the heating will be very fast. However, be careful of its high consumption, to prevent it from having a boomerang effect, therefore our advice is to use it not on a continuous basis.

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Low consumption fan heater

On the same wavelength as the previous product, it could be convenient to heat the domestic environment with a small but high-performance low-consumption fan heater. This model has the peculiarity of using 50% of the energy required by traditional systems to produce the same level of heat, which means that it will be the perfect product for this period of high energy cost increases.

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Electric cooker

With this product you can save on your gas bill, slightly interfering with your electricity bill. We are talking about the Beper electric cooker, excellent for being able to cook a large number of foods efficiently. It has an aluminum tray and a steel grill, which ensures a constant temperature. Furthermore, this stove reaches the ideal temperature in just a few minutes from being switched on, an excellent factor in terms of electricity consumption. Then there are the classic two knobs for temperature regulation and the switch-off timer.

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Thermostat

Generic photos One of the best products to effectively save on gas bill is certainly a smart thermostat. Among the many solutions on the market, we strongly advise you to purchase the 3rd generation Google Nest. It is an article that manages to control gas consumption to save on the bill. This item can learn your habits i.e. the temperature you prefer when you are at home and automatically lower it during working/school/university hours. For this reason, it is able to create – through the preferred temperature – a personalized schedule and the time required to heat the home. It is compatible with OpenTherm technology, therefore it is a must to have a compatible boiler.

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Flow restrictor for shower

It may seem trivial, but in reality it is not. Buying a water flow restrictor is essential to save on your gas bill. In fact, consuming less hot water in the shower, without compromising the outlet pressure, limits the use of the boiler, which is why waste is reduced. The product we recommend is the one made by Pepte, compatible with 95% of the taps on the market and in homes.

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Solar thermal panel

The installation of one or more solar panels dedicated exclusively to hot water is certainly the best solution to reduce the consumption of gas for water heating, even if the initial investment is much higher than in other methods previously suggested . However, with a solar thermal panel you will be sure to save significant amounts of money every month once the investment is recovered, as the panel uses solar energy to produce heat and therefore with zero bill costs. The model we report is available in different sizes, so that you can buy the one that best suits your needs. We start from a minimum of 100 liters to a maximum of 240 litres. The intermediate solution is 180 litres. The pipes are resistant, even in the event of heavy hail, as is the structure that supports the tank, covered in painted galvanized steel. The structure can also be installed on flat or sloping roofs and terraces.

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How to save on your gas bill

Although they are excellent, the products listed above they are useful for optimizing consumption and not so much for drastically reducing gas costs. To notice big improvements on the bill, it is necessary to change the way we use gas in daily life, obviously trying not to make too many compromises.

Heating system

The one that makes the gas costs on the bill is undoubtedly the heating system, regardless of which solution you have installed in your home. If you have a central heating system, tweaking your thermostat could make all the difference. In fact, it is sufficient to lower the latter by a few degrees to ensure that the heating system does not use much gas. You probably won't notice big temperature differences this way, but you could see a good decrease in heating costs on your next bills.

If adjusting your thermostat manually isn't your thing, you might want to consider a programmable model, so you can set a specific heating setting for when you are away from home or when you go to sleep. The maintenance of these appliances is essential, as it will keep the heating system efficient for longer and, consequently, lower bills. If necessary, call an expert and have him check the status of your system, in order to receive targeted suggestions on how to make it work properly.

Water heater

After the thermostat, the water heater is surely the one which affects your gas bill the most. Here too you can implement a series of measures with the aim of reducing consumption without making any compromises. Most boilers have a dial with which you can change the water temperature. We suggest lowering it a bit, just enough to save a certain amount of euros which could lighten the expenses of many Italians. Often, in fact, we tend to let the water out so hot that we burn our skin, but this doesn't make much sense, especially in summer, when the taps tend to stay hot and therefore let out already lukewarm water. Then make sure that the boiler is regularly subjected to maintenance, in order to avoid spending significant amounts of money for any repairs. If your model is old, consider replacing it with one of the latest generation, so that you can then save money in the long run.

A note should also be made for hot water storage tanks. Although these are insulated, they waste about 30% of their energy due to heat loss, so insulating the hot water pipes connected to the system can reduce this waste and save you money.

Appliances< /h2> As for household appliances such as dishwashers, you should try to use them in eco mode, so they can run at lower temperatures. In the case of the dishwasher, be sure to turn it on only when it is full. If you are about to buy one, check the water energy label and opt for the one with the best rating. Similar speech with the washing machine. Washing clothes with too hot water increases the gas bill, so don't worry about reducing the temperature, also because the appliance, if of quality, will still be able to clean clothes effectively. Then always adjust the water level just enough for the load of clothes and try to wash clothes only when the drum is full. If you have a tumble dryer, we strongly recommend that you always clean the condenser, which transfers heat from moist air to the refrigerant. If the condenser is dirty, the dryer will consume more gas to dry the clothes.

Solar thermal panel

How can we not mention the advantages of solar thermal panels, which are revealed without a shadow of doubt the best solution for saving gas when you need to heat the water. In fact, this type of panel uses solar energy to heat the water, which is then used to heat the house or to operate the boiler. The installation is not as complicated as it seems and can be done by anyone with a minimum of knowledge on the subject. Furthermore, solar thermal panels can be combined with other existing heating systems, such as the gas boiler, so in case of absence of sun you can go back to the classic heating system in seconds. The advantages in the bill, as mentioned, will be immediately visible, even if it must be said that the initial investment is quite important. However, we are talking about an eco-sustainable solution, with a useful life of over 25 years, which means that once installed you will no longer have to worry about replacing it. The investment will therefore be fully recovered and you will then benefit from less expensive bills. Finally, with a solar thermal panel, you will do your part to keep the planet healthy.

Insulation

Last but not least, is to add insulation extra on the ceiling, since the typical walls of the latter affect the temperature of the rest of the environment, especially for loft homes, i.e. those obtained from a single environment, usually an abandoned industrial space of considerable surface area.

General advice on how to save gas

As you may have guessed, it is often not necessary to upset one's life to optimize the energy that one consumes during one's daily life, and that is why the following are further targeted suggestions, always to make the gas bill as light as possible. These are very general tips which, if put together, can make a difference on your monthly and annual spending without compromising your habits.

Use pans and trays suitable for your stove: use the correct containers for your cooker reduces gas waste. Pots and pans should be of a suitable diameter for the stove, so as not to leave empty space around the flames. With this arrangement, the heat will be distributed uniformly, which will result in lower gas consumption; Use the lid : always use the lids on the containers while cooking, this guarantees a small but important saving on gas in the long run. In fact, the lid retains the heat inside the pot, making the food cook faster; Adjust the flame: Adjusting the flame is another simple and effective way to save on gas. The flame should be high enough to cook the food, but not too high to avoid wasting gas; Turn off the stove before the food is cooked: Turning off the stove before the food is fully cooked is a way to take advantage of the residual heat and finish cooking. This means that the food will be cooked with the residual heat and no additional gas will need to be used; Choose the most suitable cooking mode: it is essential to select the right cooking mode to save gas. For example, steam cooking is more efficient than cooking over high heat;

What influences the price of gas?

In this historical period, the less expert on the subject will surely have wondered why the price of gas does not remain stable but keeps changing? How important is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine? Below we will try to list all the factors that can affect the price of gas.

The first and most important element to ensure that the price of gas continues to change is the relationship between supply and demand. This is at the basis of the market and a similar functioning applies to any product sector. When the demand for natural gas exceeds the supply, the price tends to rise. Conversely, if supply exceeds demand, the price tends to decrease.

The second element that affects the price is the weather conditions. The colder temperatures typical of the winter months increase the demand for natural gas for heating homes and commercial activities, causing a rise in the cost, while the warmer temperatures of the summer reduce the demand.

Third and last but not least, the factor that affects the purchase cost of gas is the production of oil. In fact, you should know that natural gas is often produced together with oil, therefore a decrease in oil production can limit the supply of natural gas and increase its price.

Also noteworthy is the availability of infrastructure, such as pipelines and pipelines, which can compromise the transport of natural gas and therefore affect the final price. We have seen this with the recent news events relating to the discount between Ukraine and Russia, in particular with the explosion of the Ukrainian Nord Stream gas pipeline.

Lastly, the political decisions of the government affect the price of gas which, depending on the situation, it may apply restrictions on the distribution and use of natural gas.







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