December 14, 2022

CP12 & 8 Other Affordable Ways To Reduce Your Gas Bill This Winter

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When winter rolls around, your gas bill is likely to increase. According to an estimate, gas consumption is 7 times higher during the colder part of the year, and given the recent spike in gas prices across the UK and Europe, gas bills are likely to be higher than ever.

Therefore, it makes sense to find out alternatives to reduce your gas bills. From getting a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) to smart thermostats, we list 9 valuable tips that will help you cut down your gas expenses this winter:

1. Get a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)

A Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) is a legal document issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer that certifies that a property’s gas appliances and/or pipework have been checked for safety and found to be compliant with current legal requirements .

Having a Gas Safety Certificate is essential to ensuring the safety of your property and its occupants, but it can also help you save money on your gas bill costs. Safety Certificates provide an annual check on the safety of your gas appliances, ensuring that they are safe to use and that they comply with the necessary regulations.

By having a regular check of your gas appliances, you can make sure that they are running efficiently and that any potential gas leaks are identified quickly. This can help you avoid expensive repairs or replacements.

Also, by ensuring that your appliances are running as they should, you can reduce the amount of energy you use and, therefore, the amount of money you spend on gas bills.

2. Get an energy audit

The first thing that you need to do is get an energy audit to determine your gas consumption requirements. How much natural gas do you need? The energy inspection will tell you how to do the same job with less energy.

You should hire an expert, registered energy advisor to get the energy audit. Once the auditor completes their assessment, they will give you a report outlining the current energy consumption in your house and recommendations that will help you cut down your usage and gas bill.

The auditor will inspect each room and observe the heating and cooling system, boiler or flue, wirings and pipelines, wall insulation, leaks in your doors and windows, the number of doors and windows, and the number and state of gas appliances.

3. Insulate Your Home

If the outside air is getting into your home, you will consume more gas to keep it warm. Therefore, to reduce the usage of the heating system and space heaters, block up the cracks and holes in your doors, windows, and walls.

There are multiple affordable methods to get this done:

  • You can use a silicone base filler, rubber weather strips, or spray foam insulation for cracks in windows and doors.
  • can also insulate the electrical outlets and cover the piping with pressure-sensitive plastic.
  • Seal the windows with plastic or caulking until spring
  • Install door sweeps, drape thick curtains, and use specialized insulation paint on exterior walls
  • Make sure all vent holes have flaps

Generally, leaky doors and windows are to blame for air leaks, therefore, blocking air leaks could reduce your gas bill by as much as 25%.

4. Get a Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat automatically updates temperature settings according to the weather conditions and the heating and cooling preferences of the occupants.

Moreover, the smart or connected thermostat regulates temperature based on whether a room is occupied. If a room is unoccupied, the thermostat will automatically switch off the heating in that space to save energy.

Besides, you should be able to connect the smart thermostat to the Wi-Fi and control it using your smartphone or laptop. This means that you would get to adjust the temperature of your home no matter where you are.

The latest smart thermostats come with a multi-zone functionality which enables you to control the temperature of each room. You can even track heating use to create a personalized heating schedule to minimize heating.

5. Switch Gas Providers

Sometimes, you have to look outside the box to find a way to reduce your gas bill. It is possible the gas provider you’re using charges a higher price. Therefore, search the market, compare prices, and find the most affordable vendor

6. Avoid using a Wood-Burning Fireplace

If there is one thing you need to know, it is that 80% of the heat generated by a wood-burning fireplace escapes through the chimney. In fact, cold air enters your home through the air vents as the hot air leaves. This means that you would use more energy than you should.

7. Wear the Right Clothes

Instead of having to increase the temperature of your home, you should simply dress for winter. Wearing appropriate clothing would help cut down gas expenses considerably.

Get yourself a pair of wool socks, a warm jacket, and a cashmere beanie to keep warm. To make yourself even more comfortable, you can wear a wool poncho, long underwear, and thermal leggings.

8. Get a Portable Electric Heater

For those of you who live on your own, it is important that you get a portable electric heater. After all, it makes sense to heat your room instead of the entire house. You can cut down on central heating and stick to a portable electric heater to minimize your bill during winter. Make sure to turn off the electric heater when you leave.

9. Close the Curtains at Night

As soon as the sun sets, the temperature outside drops drastically. This is why you must keep the blinds or curtains drawn at night, as it would prevent cooler air from entering your home. Thus, you would be able to keep the house a lot warmer.

You can even get thermal curtains to prevent heat from escaping the room. Besides, the additional layer would block outside noise.

Takeaway

After you have gone over our post, you will know 9 practical ways to reduce your gas bill during the winter. You can expect to save a ton of money by following all the tips.

Don’t forget to hire a Gas Safe registered engineer to perform a gas safety check and obtain a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) every year.

Like this article? You may also like this: Avoid Waste: Conserve Energy and Cut Your Bills This Winter.

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