How to Save on Your Gas Bill in Winter

Winter often brings higher gas bills as heating demands increase. Various practical strategies can help households reduce their winter gas expenses without sacrificing comfort.

Improving Your Home’s Heat Retention

Preventing heat from escaping the home is a fundamental step in lowering gas bills. Drafts are a common culprit for heat loss, and addressing them can significantly improve a home’s energy efficiency. Sealing air leaks around windows and doors helps maintain warmth indoors.

Windows are frequent sources of drafts, which can be sealed using caulk for fixed panes or weatherstripping for movable parts. Applying temporary window film kits can create an additional insulating barrier, further reducing heat transfer. Doors also benefit from weatherstripping around the frame and door sweeps or draft stoppers at the bottom to block incoming cold air. Minor air leaks can also occur around electrical outlets, light fixtures, and where pipes or wires penetrate walls, all of which can be sealed with appropriate materials. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs by air sealing and insulating their homes.

Managing window coverings effectively can also contribute to heat retention. Opening curtains and blinds on sunny days allows natural warmth to enter the home, reducing the need for the heating system to work as hard. Conversely, closing them at night provides an extra layer of insulation against cold outdoor temperatures. Checking insulation in accessible areas, such as attics, helps prevent significant heat loss since warm air rises. Additionally, insulating exposed hot water pipes in unheated spaces, like basements or crawl spaces, helps prevent heat loss from the water before it reaches faucets.

Enhancing Your Heating System’s Performance

Optimizing the main heating system, such as a furnace or boiler, is central to managing gas consumption. Smart thermostat management is a simple yet effective way to control heating costs. Lowering the thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day, particularly when away or asleep, can lead to savings of about 10% on heating bills annually. Programmable or smart thermostats facilitate these adjustments automatically, ensuring comfort when needed and savings when not.

Regular maintenance of the heating system is another important aspect of efficiency. For forced-air systems, regularly changing air filters is crucial. A dirty filter restricts airflow, forcing the furnace to work harder and consume more gas. Furnace filters should be checked monthly, especially during winter, and typically replaced every 30 to 90 days, depending on the filter type and household conditions like pets or allergies. Additionally, scheduling annual professional tune-ups for furnaces or boilers ensures they operate at peak efficiency, preventing minor issues from escalating into costly repairs or significant energy waste.

Ensuring proper airflow from heating vents and radiators also contributes to system performance. All heating vents should remain open and unobstructed by furniture, drapes, or rugs to allow heat to circulate freely throughout the living space. For homes with hot water radiators, bleeding them annually can remove trapped air that prevents efficient heat distribution. These routine checks and adjustments help the heating system distribute warmth effectively without overworking.

Smart Practices for Other Gas Usage

Beyond primary heating, other household activities consume natural gas, and adjusting these habits can lead to further savings. Water heaters are often the second-largest energy expense in a home. Lowering the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit is generally recommended for energy savings, as it is hot enough for household needs while reducing standby heat loss and scalding risks. Most water heaters are factory-set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so adjusting this setting can yield approximately 6% to 10% savings on water heating costs. For older water heater tanks, adding an insulating jacket can further reduce heat loss.

Laundry habits also impact gas consumption, especially if using a gas water heater or dryer. Washing clothes in cold water whenever possible significantly reduces the energy needed to heat water. Running full loads in the washing machine and dryer maximizes efficiency, as partial loads waste energy.

Kitchen routines offer opportunities for gas conservation as well. Using lids on pots when cooking helps trap heat, bringing water to a boil faster and reducing cooking time and gas usage. Turning off gas burners a few minutes before food is fully cooked allows residual heat to finish the process. Avoiding the use of the gas oven for small tasks, like toasting a single item, helps prevent heating a large appliance unnecessarily.

Behavioral adjustments throughout the home can also contribute to lower gas bills. Layering clothing indoors allows for a lower thermostat setting while maintaining personal comfort. Using space heaters judiciously, only in occupied rooms as a supplement to the main heating system, can keep specific areas warm without heating the entire house. It is important to ensure fireplace dampers are closed tightly when the fireplace is not in use, as an open damper acts like a chimney, allowing heated air to escape.