When winter arrives, it’s time to re-start heating homes across the nation. This will result in higher gas bills for many homeowners and higher gas consumption. The electrification of your home heating systems is a great choice if you’re looking for ways to reduce your gas expenses. You can protect yourself from rising future gas and electricity prices by combining electric heating systems with a solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
Homes are heated using natural gas, oil, propane, and electricity across the nation. Natural gas is the most widely used fuel for home furnaces in many regions of the country. Despite the fact that the US is experiencing a natural gas boom and that gas from the Mid-Atlantic is generally affordable, the cost of natural gas and your individual gas bills seem to be rising every winter.
A significant factor in this trend in regions like the Northeast is the electric sector’s shift away from coal and toward more natural gas. According to the Energy Information Administration, natural gas recently surpassed coal as the primary fuel for electricity generation due to this year-round affordable supply of natural gas. Every coal unit in the area has either already retired or has announced a date in the near future by which they will cease operations, so New England in particular runs primarily on natural gas.
This means that if you need natural gas to heat your home in the winter, you might have to compete for it with electric power plants, which also require it to operate. Your high gas bill is caused by the most basic economic principle, supply and demand.
To meet the growing demand, some regions are calling for an increase in the capacity of natural gas pipelines. But the expense of constructing a pipeline trickles down to you as a homeowner in the form of higher gas or electricity prices. Despite the fact that supply would increase, your annual baseline gas price might rise to cover any additional pipeline capacity. (This is not to mention the extensive coverage elsewhere of the local and global environmental effects of building new pipelines. ).
Your heating system has to work harder to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature as the outside temperature drops, which results in higher gas consumption and heating costs. Additionally, if you use gas to heat your home’s water supply, colder outside temperatures may cause you to use more warm water, further increasing your gas consumption.
All technology degrades over time, including home heating systems. These technologies degrade over time, requiring more energy to generate the same amount of heat as they did when they were first invented. Even if you maintain the same temperature on your thermostat as you have in the past, older gas-powered boilers and furnaces will require more gas due to their lower efficiencies.
Here are a few of the many ways you can reduce your gas expenses so you don’t have to just accept paying high gas prices:
The best way to reduce your gas consumption and lower your gas costs is to electrify your home heating equipment. You can now completely eliminate your gas bill by switching from using natural gas to power your furnace or boiler to electricity. Air source heat pumps are the most popular choice for electrifying your heating needs because they convert energy into heat much more effectively than electric resistance heaters or oil furnaces. If you choose to install a solar system on your property, an added benefit is that electric heating systems can be powered by solar energy.
You’ll use less gas if you don’t need as much heat in your home. Therefore, improving your home’s insulation is a common way to reduce your gas costs. Having a professional conduct a home energy audit to identify areas susceptible to heat leakage will help you save money on your gas bill if you live in an older home where your insulation may be outdated or have leaks. Windows, attics, and ducts that are properly insulated will help keep heat in your house for longer periods of time and save you money.
By changing your routines around the house, you can reduce your gas costs without having to spend any money. Here are a few examples of actions you can take:
Installing a smart thermostat to maintain your home at a comfortable, energy-saving temperature is a great way to use technology to reduce your gas bill. Using a smart thermostat, you can make day and nighttime temperature adjustments throughout your home. For instance, you can program your thermostat to automatically reduce the heat when you’re at work to save on gas while you’re away from home for the day. Additionally, you can program your home to heat up as you awaken in the morning.
Check out our review of the best smart thermostats to learn more about your options. Different smart thermostats have a variety of features.
There are several ways to heat your house with solar energy. Passive solar heating is a fantastic option for new construction and home renovation. Instead of using solar panels, this method of harvesting solar energy uses the house’s innovative solar-friendly design to capture the heat from solar radiation. At its most basic, all that is necessary is to expose a living space to sunlight, allowing the sun to passively warm it throughout the day.
However, you can also heat your home with solar panels. By switching to solar energy after electrifying your home’s heating, you can start cutting your overall heating costs. Now you can use the power of the sun to heat your home throughout the winter instead of relying on either natural gas or the electric grid to power your furnace or air source heat pump, protecting yourself from rising future natural gas and electricity prices. A PV system will also, as an added benefit, assist in lowering or eliminating your other electricity expenses, assisting in bringing your energy bills as close to zero as possible.
Compared to rooftop solar, community solar is a great way to save money. You can actually reduce your electricity bill by 15% by participating in a solar farm project in your area and receiving credits for it. With community solar, the majority of subscriptions have no upfront costs, savings that are guaranteed, and no-penalty cancellation. Find a nearby participating solar farm by visiting our marketplace.
Reducing your demand for gas can help you save money on your gas bill. By electrifying your heating system and purchasing solar panels to power your home, you can reduce your gas costs and maintain a comfortable environment inside. But solar power allows you to reduce costs beyond just your gas bill. To get a rough idea of how much you could save on your utility bills by going solar, use our solar calculator. Register for the EnergySage Marketplace now to receive free solar quotes from up to seven nearby, pre-screened installers when you’re ready to take the next step. low cvr content.
How To Calculate Your Electric Bill Using the kWh Calculation Method
You can see the total number of kWhs you used in the month on your electricity bill, but you can’t tell how much power each appliance is using. You’ll need the wattage of the appliance, the typical daily usage time, and the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in order to determine how much electricity each appliance or device uses.
Find the average monthly kWh usage for each appliance to use as a starting point for power consumption estimates:
More than 400,000 customers in the New York City area are at least two months behind on their bills. Here’s some quick info that may help if you’re one of them.
You’re not alone. Many Con Ed customers have complained that their bills increased by two or three times from one billing period to the next even though they didn’t use any more electricity.
And for many people, this is a particularly bad time for their bills to rise. Our reporting shows that, across the state, almost 1. 3 million residential gas and electric customers have unpaid bills for 60 or more days. All together, they owe over $1. 7 billion, according to THE CITY’s analysis of data that 10 utility companies provided to the state.
Included are 411,694 residential Con Ed customers in Westchester and New York City.
The supply charge, which covers the cost of the energy itself, and the delivery charge, which covers the cost of the infrastructure used to transport the energy from the generator to your home, are the two main charges on your utility bill.
The supply charge is constantly fluctuating and has recently been high. But it’s crucial to note that Con Ed does not determine those prices. Neither does the state, nor any regulatory agency.
Supply charges change as a function of the global fuel market. Electricity in New York state is largely generated by burning fossil fuels. Those fuels — mostly natural gas — are commodities, and in 2021, they drove energy prices to rise faster than any other commodity category, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration.
Like other commodities, the price fluctuates with supply and demand. In the winter, demand is high. And with gas increasingly exported to foreign countries, the domestic supply gets squeezed. That means fuel costs more.
In New York, electricity cost $0.256 per kilowatt hour in January 2022, a 20% rise from the $0.213 it cost last January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the same time period, utility gas in New York cost $1.282 per therm last year and $1.497 this year, a 16.7% jump.
Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement Benefit
Additionally, assistance is now accessible to qualified homeowners if their furnace or boiler needs to be fixed or replaced because it’s unsafe or not working. Benefit amounts under the HEAP Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement program are determined by the actual costs incurred to repair or replace the necessary heating equipment, up to $4,000 for repairs and $8,000 for replacements. Because labor and material costs have increased since last year, the maximum amounts have also increased.
Understanding Gas & Electric Bills
FAQ
What uses most gas in the home?
The most residential gas is used for space and water heating, then for producing electricity, as you may have guessed.
What appliances use gas in the house?
- Heating and cooling air.
- Providing gas for ranges (stoves and ovens)
- Fireplaces.
- Laundry dryers.
- Barbeque grills and fire pits.
Why am I using so much gas in my house?
High gas supply rates, older, inefficient appliances, the need to better maintain or service your gas appliances, window and door drafts, heat loss through the attic or chimney, or opportunities to save money can all be blamed for consistently high bills or high bills during the summer when heating costs drop for most households.
How can I reduce my gas usage?
- Perform an energy audit. …
- Block any air leaks. …
- Invest in a smart thermostat. …
- Switch gas providers. …
- Regulate your thermostat. …
- Don’t use your wood-burning fireplace. …
- Dress for warmth. …
- Use a portable electric heater.
Reference:
https://www.constellation.com/energy-101/understanding-energy-costs.html
https://www.nationalgridus.com/ny-home/