Winter is now behind us, so the worst months of the recent energy crisis seem to be behind us. However, natural gas is a necessary resource in any household worth its salt, and there’s no doubt that this spring we’ll still have days and weeks when we’ll need to rely on it to heat our homes, get hot water, cook, or do laundry. Not to mention its more common uses during the hottest months, such as for barbecues or to regulate the temperatures of swimming pools and hot tubs.

Today, at CULMIA, we want to talk to you about the current factors affecting your gas bill, how your location and the weather influence it, and the best tips for saving a significant amount of money at the end of each month. So keep reading to learn all about it!

What roles does gas play in our home?

The first step in considering different ways to save gas at home is to identify how we use it. This can take three forms:

• Individual gas heating: This is typically the most expensive option because it uses gas to heat the home. As a result, energy consumption skyrockets in homes that use it during the winter.
• Domestic hot water: The gas heats the water used in the home for consumption (drinking and personal hygiene), as well as for cleaning the rooms.
• Kitchen: Approximately one in three households (37%) still uses gas for cooking, which results in a significant increase in their monthly bill.

According to data from the study“SPAHOUSEC II: Statistical Analysis of Natural Gas Consumption in Homes with Individual Heating” by the IDAE (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving), the average annual natural gas consumption per household in Spain is 5,097 kWh. However, for households where heating, hot water, and cooking are all powered by gas, consumption rises to 7,921 kWh per year; and in cases where gas is used only for hot water and cooking, consumption drops to 2,956 kWh per year.

How does geographic location affect our gas consumption?

There’s no doubt that the weather affects our wallets, because depending on the temperature, we’ll need more or less gas to heat our homes, water, or food.

For example, according to IDAE, in the peninsular region with a northern Atlantic climate, the average annual gas consumption for an apartment is 5,481 kWh and for a single-family home is 14,798 kWh. Meanwhile, in the continental climate zone, apartments consume the most (8,613 kWh), although single-family homes consume slightly less (13,537 kWh). Finally, in the Mediterranean climate zone, annual consumption is 6,213 kWh for apartments and 11,635 kWh for single-family homes.

So, the larger the house and the more humid and colder the climate, the higher the gas bills for families.

Does the gas price cap affect household bills?

Following the rise in gas prices in Europe in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, Spain and Portugal imposed a cap of 40 €/MWh on gas prices last June for the first six months, with a maximum of 70 €/MWh to be reached in the following months. This cap is not fixed but varies depending on the wholesale gas market; it is an Iberian exception mechanism that, in principle, will remain in effect until May 31, 2023.

In addition, it applies to contracts signed on or after April 26, 2022. Note that it applies only to electricity bills (electricity generation), not to gas bills in mainland Spain. Therefore, it does not apply to open-market contracts in non-mainland territories such as Ceuta, Melilla, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands.

Tips for Saving Gas at Home

Switch to the cheapest gas rate

The first recommendation is to choose the Last-Resort Gas Rate (TUR). This is a regulated gas rate whose price is reviewed by the government on a quarterly basis, so it adapts to current circumstances. As such, it is the most recommended option for consumers, although, interestingly, it is still chosen by a minority compared to those who subscribe to rates regulated by the free market.

Specifically, it is estimated that in recent months there has been a 54% increase in the number of users who have adopted this tariff, bringing the total to over 2 million customers. And although the government’s review of all tariff tiers in January resulted in an average increase in costs of 8.67% (5.23 cents/kWh), on April 1st it fell considerably again: 29.9% compared to the previous rate (2.68 cents/kWh). Therefore, in 2023 it remains the best option for paying less on your gas bill each month .

Finding the Optimal Temperature for Our Home

Experts recommend that the temperature in our home should not exceed the thermal comfort level, which is between 20 and 21 ºC. It’s important to keep in mind that for every additional degree, energy consumption in our home, with a corresponding impact on our electricity or gas bill, depending on which heating system we have installed.

Using Home Automation to Control the Temperature

The theory behind the previous point is interesting, but you might find it difficult to put it into practice. We can’t always keep an eye on the temperature in our home or adjust the heating ourselves to avoid overheating or underheating. So, a good solution to take the hassle out of it is to use a smart thermostat that automatically controls the temperature and can even be programmed to turn on, turn off, or adjust at specific times of the day.

Insulation for Doors and Windows

When it comes to achieving the optimal temperature for our home, it’s not only important to reach that temperature but also to maintain it. If we pay attention to details such as insulating doors and windows, we’ll prevent heat from escaping in the winter and heat from entering in the summer, since we’ll create an airtight environment. This way, our heating (or air conditioning) system won’t have to run constantly to maintain temperatures that ensure thermal comfort.

Proper Maintenance of Radiators

It is estimated that poor maintenance of a home’s heating system —and, in particular, its radiators— can increase total energy consumption by 10 to 20 percent. Therefore, it is recommended that, every few months, we check for any water leaks, bleed the radiators to remove air, check their pressure levels, and make sure the gaskets on the caps are dry.

Use hot water only when necessary

In winter, it’s practically essential to take a hot shower, but this isn’t a necessity during the hottest months of the year. In this regard, it’s important to keep in mind that every time we turn on the hot water faucet, the gas water heater will kick in, which adds to our household’s energy consumption.

And this is a factor that not only affects our use of water for hygiene purposes but also applies to other areas, such as washing dishes in the sink or doing laundry in the washing machine. That’s why we need to keep in mind that we should only use hot water when it’s absolutely necessary; because if we limit our consumption, we’ll make significant progress toward our goal of lowering our utility bill.

Concentrate and make the most of the heat

Is it really necessary to go to the trouble of heating the whole house if we’re only going to spend the afternoon in the living room? Can we use the heat generated by the oven while we were cooking to heat something else or even to eat in the kitchen? These are questions that can help us optimize gas consumption in our home, because if we make good use of the heat we generate, we probably won’t need to produce more at any given time.

The thing is, sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference—like using the microwave instead of the oven to avoid using gas when we need to heat up food, or adjusting the burner flame based on the size of the pot or pan we’re using. The key is to try to generate the heat we need without going overboard and to make the most of it!

Here are our 7 tips for saving gas at home. Go ahead and try them out, and don’t forget to use our energy calculator to keep track of your home’s energy efficiency at all times!

We recommend:

• 10 Tips for Saving Energy at Home
• How to Insulate Your Windows Against the Cold This Winter