When it comes to saving gas, there are many ways to go about doing it. Coming up with a gas-saving plan can save you thousands of dollars every year and it is also far better for the environment that we all live in. We are officially in the earth-friendly era, where each decade that passes it will become more important to make responsible life choices that provide a cleaner and less polluted earth for our children. In the article below we’ll walk you through a creative list of ways to help you save gas in your day to day life.
10 Proven Ways to Save Gas
1. Only Wash Full Loads of Laundry – When we are busy it is really tempting to wash a half load of laundry, or even a couple of items if we need the clothing badly enough. Not washing a full load of laundry every time, however, is a very wasteful way to utilize your natural gas. Hot water feeding into your washing machine is heated with gas. Even if you set your washer to a small load setting, then chances are you are still going to end up with way more hot water than you need to wash a half or partial load. The experts at Morayfield Plumbers will tell you just that, as will any other certified plumber knowledgeable about hot water use and gas consumption.
2. Take Much Shorter Showers – One of the ways in which we all waste the most natural gas is by taking overly long showers. Study after study has shown that we can become adequately clean after just 4 minutes in the shower. A shower that takes any longer than 4 minutes is a massive waste of both water and natural gas resources. The next time you take a long hot shower, remember that natural gas is a finite resource. Once it is gone it is gone forever. Don’t be wasteful in such a manner, as it puts an unnecessary strain on the earth’s finite resources and ultimately makes the world a more polluted and dirty place to live in.
3. Install Electric Kitchen Appliances – If you really want to save on natural gas then install high energy efficient kitchen appliances in your home. Some studies have shown that modern and highly efficient electric kitchen appliances will save you money in the long run. While it may take 5-10 years for the cost savings to break even, it is worth the wait. Electricity is generated through many different means, some of which rely on non-finite resources. (Howefarmstn) With natural gas, there is a limited supply of it on earth. Fry your dinner steak with hydroelectricity if it’s available to you, not with finite fossil fuels.
4. Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water – Some studies have shown that you could save 10 percent in total gas consumption if you switched to washing your clothes in cold water only. You only need to wash clothes in warm water if they are really dirty or muddy, which is usually not the case.
5. Have Your Gas Lines Regularly Checked – Having your gas lines checked regularly is not only a safety measure, but it is also an energy waste reducing measure. Tiny leaks in your gas lines could be costing you hundreds of dollars a year in unnecessary fees. Have a certified expert come out and check your lines to make sure that there are no leaks.
6. Reduce Your Water Temperature – Reducing your water heater temperature by several degrees can not only save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year in utility fees, but it will also dramatically lower the rate at which you consume natural gas. This may also force you to take shorter showers, which will, in turn, create cost savings on water as well.
7. Install Electric Bathroom Water Heaters – Over the last decade, electric driven water heaters have become far more common. The newest models have even been proven to be far more efficient and eco-friendly than standard and classic gas-powered water tanks. There is a massive demand worldwide right now for high-efficient energy-driven water heaters and home appliances, and each year the efficiency rate gets better and better. It is even thought that electrically driven heater tanks are far less prone to catching fire than gas-powered units.
8. Always Maintain Your Furnace Filters – Not keeping your furnace filters clean and properly maintained can waste a large amount of gas every year. You should also read up on what your furnace’s maintenance requirements are, as models have a tendency to vary in this regard. In a nutshell, if your furnace filters are dirty or clogged, then it will have to work far harder and with far less efficiency then it would if there were clean filters in place. In the end, a dirty filter means your household will be consuming far more natural gas than it needs to.
9. Lower Your Thermostat Temperature – If you lower your thermostat temperature by just 3-5 degrees you could save up to 10 percent on your annual natural gas costs. If you live in a particularly warm climate area then this cost-cutting measure is absolutely doable. Even if you live in a cold climate area 3-5 degrees isn’t particularly awful to deal with. It may just mean that you have to bundle up or wear slightly more clothing within your home during the winter, a task that isn’t overly uncomfortable.
10. Collect as Much Rainwater as You Can – In generations past, people all across the Western World would collect rainwater because their life depended on it. These days most people don’t do it and that is to the detriment of our environment and our individual finances. The more fresh water you have the less water there will be running through your home plumbing. Many homeowners heat their water on accident and without even knowing it. A slight slip of the faucet tab and what you think is pure cold water could be ever so slightly heated, thus wasting natural gas.
