Save gas: consumers pay less with these tips
Created: 08/03/2022 05:37
By: Dominik Jahn
Reduce costs and save money: Gas consumption can be reduced not only for heating.
Little tips can help.
Now it's getting really expensive.
Extreme energy costs were already apparent in April.
At the time, experts gave a gloomy forecast for gas and electricity, as
echo24.de
reported.
Most recently, the gas alert level followed – prices in Baden-Württemberg will probably continue to rise as a result.
Consumers need to save.
With a few tips, you can reduce expenses.
With the war in Ukraine, Germany is facing the end of natural gas supplies from Russia.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has already announced the second of three stages in his gas emergency plan.
Only the emergency level remains.
Gas consumers now have to pay attention to important details in everyday life.
Gas consumption: Contracts with energy suppliers are still valid
As the consumer advice center writes,
"supply security is guaranteed, but the situation is tense"
.
According to the report, utilities
“remain bound by the contracts and prices they have agreed with gas households.
The so-called price adjustment mechanism of the Energy Security Act is not yet applicable for the gas suppliers because the Federal Network Agency has not yet formally determined the gas shortage."
The experts at the consumer center are now also advising you to minimize your gas consumption.
Even small changes in everyday life can save money, as echo24.de reports.
Saving gas: Consumption when showering can be reduced by up to 60 percent
According to the Association of Energy Consumers, for
“60 million showerers in Germany with 220 showers a year, this means 13 billion showers and 80 terawatt hours of energy consumption.
If 30 percent showers with electricity and 70 percent with gas or oil, then the energy costs for showers add up to 11.2 billion euros a year".
A new energy-saving shower head is a real classic among gas-saving tips for showering.
According to the energy consumer experts, this
"halved the water flow through the shower head to around 8 liters per minute and the costs accordingly"
.
Up to 60 percent of the water consumption can be saved in this way.
And when it comes to water consumption, the following generally applies: showering is always better than bathing.
The consumer advice center advises homeowners to limit the heating times for the water storage tank.
The temperature should be set as low as possible.
"But be careful: not below 55 degrees, because then the risk of legionella increases".
also read
Wasps in the garden: does the paper ball trick drive away the pests?
Expert clarifies
Recall for chips: Experts warn of poisoning - exchange immediately
Save gas when heating: reset the thermostats
With a bit of foresight for autumn and winter, consumers can then turn some important screws in the cool months of the year, save gas and end up paying less for heating.
According to the consumer advice center, it is important that radiators are not covered with curtains and blocked with furniture.
Radiators should also always be clean.
Because: Dust deposits reduce the heating output.
Gas can also be saved when heating by:
Bleeding the radiators – if there is air in the radiators, the system has to use more energy to heat up the rooms in the end.
Check the pressure in the heating system - water may need topping up.
Adjust the heating system correctly – check setback times.
According to the consumer advice center, the so-called night reduction, which reduces the flow temperature of the heating system, is one of the most important points.
If you are absent for a longer period of time, the daily reduction makes sense.
The thermostat – so-called thermostatic valves allow hot water to flow through a radiator until the desired temperature is reached.
18 degrees in the bedroom and 21 degrees in the living room would be sufficient.
It shouldn't be below 16 degrees.
Otherwise there is a risk of mold on the walls.
Basically, you should not turn a thermostat to the highest level in order to supposedly heat up a room faster.
This means that even more energy, i.e. gas, is wasted.
Save gas and seal the room well: This is how they test their windows
If you want to reduce costs and are looking for ways to save more gas, you should definitely keep the windows and doors tight.
The experts at the consumer advice center see leaky doors and windows as a major energy robber.
But how can the windows be checked?
According to the article, a piece of paper is sufficient.
You should clamp it between the frame and the closed window.
If the paper cannot be pulled out, the window is tight enough.
And:
"In the case of house and apartment doors, a sealing profile can usually be easily attached later in order to minimize heating losses."
Rising energy prices: save gas in the kitchen
Gas can also be saved when cooking in everyday life.
Particularly important: pots should always be placed on the right cooking surface.
To avoid increased energy loss, it is advisable to always cook with the lid on.
Besides that*:
use little cooking water
Do not preheat or only briefly preheat the gas stove
And: saving electricity is also saving gas.
"There is a proportion of electricity - according to the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) 10.4 percent - that is produced using gas"
.
*Information according to BR24
