During the summer months, natural gas use in the United States drops by about 30% when compared to the amount used during the winter months. The drop in use is mainly due to the furnace no longer being needed, but there are still other appliances that use natural gas, mainly the oven and the hot water tank. These appliances are still in use during the summer, and the electricity bill will see an increase from the use of the air conditioner. The mild winter has lead to predictions for an extra hot summer, so many of us will be bracing ourselves for painfully high electricity bills. We are all going to be looking for ways to save money, and cutting your natural gas costs even further is an easy way to do this!
Two Ways to Use Less Natural Gas
- Minimize Use of the Oven: The over uses significant amount of natural gas every time you turn it on, but it also adds a lot of extra heat to the home. The air conditioner must remove this extra heat and it will consume extra electricity to do so. Therefore reducing use of the over is key to saving money! Move your kitchen outdoors this summer and use the grill instead! Many things that can be cooked in an oven can be grilled, and you will save money while enjoying the season as well!
- Turn Down the Water Heater’s Thermostat: Hot showers are a necessity during the winter, but the heat of summer requires a different kind of shower. Many of us will take lukewarm or cool showers in order to take a break from the heat, but still heating up the water in your hot water tank to 120 or 130 degrees is wasteful. Turn down the temp of the tank to 115 degrees and enjoy up to an additional 10% reduction in your natural gas use.
