247 Home Rescue – Top tips to reduce your gas bills this winter

Wintertime brings about many changes – shorter days, darker mornings and even darker and colder nights.

Whilst some of us may enjoy getting cosy in our warm wear whilst enjoying a cuppa, there’s one thing that unites winter lovers and winter haters – a disdain for high winter gas bills!

If you’re aiming to reduce your gas bills this winter, 247 Home Rescue are here to provide you with all the help and advice you need to do this.

Continue reading to find out 247 Home Rescue’s top tips for reducing your gas bill this winter.

Why are energy bills so expensive during the wintertime?

As the temperatures get colder, the demand for gas and electricity increases, this in turn leads to a spike in energy prices as suppliers have to pay more for wholesale energy. These increased market prices are then passed on to customers through gas and electricity rates. According to research, the average gas bill per month in the UK is approximately £46.40 , and this is likely to increase during the colder months.

During the winter, people tend to spend more time at home with the heating on and using electric appliances, causing gas and electricity consumption spikes. Reversely, during summertime, we don’t tend to use the heating as much and people may be more inclined to spend time outdoors, causing a reduction in gas and electricity usage. This is why you may notice that your energy bills reduce during warmer periods.

How to reduce your gas bill during winter

Higher wholesale gas prices are unfortunately inevitable during the winter. However, there are a few ways in which you can keep your gas bills as low as possible and maximise your winter savings.

Changing the way that you use energy within your home and conducting simple measures can help you save money on your natural gas bill.

Here are our top tips to help you lower your gas bill in the winter:

Insulation

Insulating your walls, loft, roof or floor can help to retain heat in your home by creating a barrier between inside temperatures and outside conditions. This is one of the most effective ways to keep your home warm during winter. Plus, as inside temperatures will be more easily maintained, your heating system won’t have to work as hard, placing less pressure on your boiler and using less gas. This can help to reduce your gas bills significantly – according to the Energy Saving Trust, insulation could help you save up to £610 on your annual energy bill.

** Bonus Tip – You can also insulate your heating pipes and water cylinder in order to save money on your natural gas bill. If you have a heat only or system boiler, you can keep hot water warm for longer periods by insulating the storage cylinder with a ‘jacket’ made with insulating material such as glass fibre. You can also lag your pipes to help keep your water warm and reduce the pressure placed on your central heating system.

Draught-proofing

Draught-proofing is a cost-effective method that can help you lower your gas bill in the winter. This measure can be completed through DIY by sealing gaps in windows, doors, walls and floors to prevent cold air from entering the property and also stop warm air from escaping. Sealing these draughts can help you maintain your ideal temperatures and lower your gas heating usage, thus helping to reduce your energy bills. It is estimated that draught-proofing the windows and doors in your property can help you save approximately £30 per year.

Invest in Double Glazing or Triple Glazing

Like insulation, double and triple glazing your windows can help to retain heat within your property. This method involves placing gaps in between the sheets of glass in your windows to trap heat and prevent cold air from entering the home. According to research, double glazing the windows in your property could help you save up to £115 per year on your gas bill, whilst triple glazing could help you save approximately £175 on your annual energy bill.

Avoid Standby Mode

Turning your appliances off of standby mode is another quick and easy way to reduce your gas bills this winter. Research suggests that households could be wasting up to £450 per year on ‘phantom power.’ This is a term used to define the energy wasted by an appliance whilst it’s not in use and left in standby mode. By simply switching your appliances off completely, you can reduce your energy wastage and save an additional £35 per year on your gas bill.

Choose More Energy-Efficient Appliances

In order to keep your gas and electricity bills as low as possible all year round, you should always try to purchase appliances that are energy-efficient. Appliances within the UK are given energy labels to help consumers identify a product’s energy-efficiency level, these ratings are currently from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). By purchasing appliances that are A-rated for efficiency, you can reduce your household energy wastage and save money on your natural gas bill.

Invest in a New Boiler

Following on from the previous tip, one of the main appliances within your home that you’ll want to make sure is efficient is your boiler. Heating accounts for around 70% of your household energy bill, and an inefficient boiler could add up to £340 onto your gas bill each year. So, if you want to reduce your gas bills this winter, getting a brand-new A-rated boiler is one of the best ways to do this. Not only could a new boiler bring additional savings of up to £190 per year , but it could also increase the levels of comfort in your home by providing you with better quality heating and hot water.

Turn Down the Temperatures

We know that during winter you might be tempted to wack the heating up to the highest level, but this can wreak havoc on your gas bill! You should set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature to keep your gas bill as low as possible without compromising your comfort – this is usually between 18°C and 21°C. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can help you save approximately 10% on your yearly gas bill.

Invest in Smart Devices

Innovative technologies like smart thermostats and smart meters are designed to help you monitor and control your energy usage; they can thus help you lower your gas bills. With a smart thermostat, you can make changes to your home heating from anywhere using an app on your smartphone. Meanwhile, a smart meter can provide you with accurate billing and help you find out where you are using the most energy in your home.

Be Smart with Your Water Use

An estimated 20% of your gas bill goes towards heating the water in your home. For this reason, it is essential that you use water efficiently if you want to reduce your gas bills. There are many simple ways in which you can do this, for example, investing in an efficient shower head can help you save up to £38 on gas water heating, whilst shortening your time in the shower by just one minute could enable you to save around £8 a year on energy costs.

Switch gas suppliers

Last but certainly not least, switching energy suppliers is one of the most effective ways to lower your gas bill in the winter. If you’ve been with the same supplier for a while, it’s highly likely that you’ll be able to find cheaper rates for your gas and electricity elsewhere. New gas tariffs become available quite frequently, and there are plenty of energy providers on the market for you to choose from. You can find a cheaper gas supplier by using an online energy comparison service. This way, you can compare a range of different deals at once and find the best option for your home and needs.

Your New Boiler System

One of the best ways to reduce your gas bills is to replace your old boiler with a brand-new and efficient A-rated boiler system. Here at 247 Home Rescue, we have the knowledge and expertise to provide you with a first-class installation of a boiler best suited to your needs.

All of the boilers we install are built with energy efficiency in mind, which means that they are manufactured to provide you with quality heating whilst using minimal energy. This can lead to great savings on your gas bill.

Try our free online quote tool today to find the best boiler system for your home. We’ll also provide you with a personalised estimate of costs for your installation.

FAQs

How to reduce your gas bill?

Some of the best ways to reduce your gas bill include investing in a new A-rated boiler to maximise your heating efficiency, ensuring that you are using energy efficiently within your home to lower your energy consumption, and switching gas suppliers to get cheaper rates for your household gas supply.

How to lower your gas bill in the winter?

You can lower your gas bill in the winter by replacing your old inefficient boiler with a brand-new A-rated boiler system. This will help to reduce your energy wastage, whilst also providing you with better quality heating and hot water. You can also lower your gas bill by using energy more efficiently within your home and investing in smart devices to monitor your gas consumption. Further savings can also be made by switching gas suppliers.

What causes your gas bill to be high?

Some of the most common reasons for high gas bills are excessive energy usage within the home, inefficient appliances and high gas rates. To reduce your gas bills, you should aim to purchase efficient appliances, use them eco-consciously, and also select a gas supplier with cheaper rates.

What is the average monthly bill or gas?

The average monthly gas bill in the UK is approximately £46.40. Please note, energy prices tend to increase during winter.