THE BEST YOU 21ST D
espite the fact that we can turn it on whenever we like, be it to cook a meal
or get our living room to a balmy 20 degrees, gas is not a limitless resource. Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture, which is extracted and processed to make our lives more comfortable. Like all natural resources that the human population put exceptional amount of pressure on, it is bound to become scarcer and scarcer, making it more and more valuable and the prices sky-rocketing. In March of this year there was a gas shortage in the UK, which caused prices to reach an all time high, resulting in many people wrapped in blankets, teeth chattering as they drank hot chocolate and brandy to keep the cold at bay. If that is the result of just one gas line not working properly, imagine the pandemonium and teeth chattering that would happen if the world actually ran out of gas entirely. That’s why it’s important for us to cut back where we can, giving the earth a chance to produce the resources we have come to rely so heavily upon. Nobody is expecting you to
give up your creature comforts, but there are little things that you can do to save gas that won’t impact your life at all. Cutting back on gas usage is easier than you think. We’ve come up with a few tips to help you get there.
QUICK TIPS
• Fit double-glazing to reduce heat loss through windows.
• Replace boilers older than 15 years old. Also, installing a new condensing boiler and controls could save you up to £235 a year.
• Installing a hot water cylinder jacket could save you up to £35 a year.
BE RADIATOR WISE Heating up your entire home takes quite a lot of gas, which can get rather expensive. Of course, now that it is summer, we are using the heating a lot less. But as you well know, even at this time of the year, there are still many cold and rainy days where we require a little help from our home heating systems when it comes to keeping toasty. However, there are a few things that you can do around your home that don’t require your radiators to work as hard as they have been up until now. Firstly, keep your radiators clear. This will allow the heat to reach the entire room. For example, do not put a large sofa in front of the radiator, as it will absorb a lot of the heat. Also, as you know, heat rises, so if you have particularly high ceilings, putting a shelf on the wall above the radiator will encourage the heat to travel to the middle of the room instead of just going up towards the ceiling.
BELOW
Heat escapes through the windows, doors and roof
COOL DOWN It stands to reason that the higher you set your thermostat, the more gas you are going to use. So why not
CENTURY LIVING
try this nifty little trick? Next time you turn your heating on, lower the temperature by one degree. Then the next time, set it one degree lower still. Keep going until you feel too chilly, and then turn it back up by one degree. That way you will achieve the optimum temperature using the least amount of gas. Also, use your central heating timer to turn heating on and off instead of the thermostat. When you use your thermostat to turn the heating on and off, it always stays on a little bit, using a little bit of gas continuously, which adds up and bumps up your bill.
MAKE A DATE TO INSULATE
Putting draft excluders around the doors and windows could save you around £25 a year on your heating bills. Also, don’t forget the small areas where the draft gets in, such as the letterbox and keyholes. Using letterbox covers and keyhole covers to will help minimise draft. Of course carpets and thick curtains will help with insulation, so you only need to put the heating on for a fraction of the time and allow the insulation to do the rest. And if you’re up for a little DIY, you can take the insulation of your home to the next level. Installing cavity wall insulation could save around £135 a year, while installing loft insulation could save around £175 a year.b
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