Gas And Electricity: 5 Tips To Lower Your Bill

With the rise in energy prices, your gas and electricity bills are likely to soar this winter. However, you can limit the costs by adopting certain good habits on a daily basis. Here are 5 tips to lower your energy bill.

1- Do not overheat your home

Of course, your energy bill will not be the same depending on whether you live in the north or south of France.

Your gas and electricity costs will depend on how cold the winter is in your area and when you need to turn on the heating.

But, regardless of the Climate in your area, the first of the 5 tips you should know to lower your gas or electricity bill is to avoid overheating your home.

In bedrooms in particular, it is recommended to not exceed 19°C. Did you know that lowering the heating by one degree can reduce your energy consumption by 7%?

2- Turn off the heat when you're away

Following the same logic, the second tip for reducing your energy bill is to turn off your equipment when you are away for more than a day.

If you're going away for more than a day, consider putting the heating on frost-free mode and turning off your electric hot water tank as these are both energy-hungry pieces of equipment.

3- Insulate your home without breaking the bank

Another tip to know about lowering your gas or electric heating bill is to combat all heat loss in your home.

To keep heat from escaping through openings, it's important to check the insulation at the windows and front door.

In older homes, cold air infiltration represents a 25% heat loss.

So, if your home's insulation is not optimal, you can opt for lower cost solutions like:
- Installing adhesive insulating seals on your doors and windows
- using door sills
- choosing thick curtains to limit cold drafts in your home.

Note that you can benefit from aid to improve the insulation of your home by inquiring at your town hall or the National Housing Agency (see link below).

4- Maintain the facilities regularly

Another tip to know about lowering your energy bill is to maintain your heating systems regularly.

Annual maintenance of your boiler, for example, helps to reduce the amount of money you pay.

You should also ensure that you :
- regulate your radiators properly
- Dust them frequently so that they distribute heat in an optimal way
- Bleed them every year to eliminate the air that has accumulated in the pipes and ensure that the hot water circulates properly.

To be noted: whether it is oil, gas, wood or multi-fuel, your boiler must undergo mandatory annual maintenance by a professional. This annual maintenance helps to avoid possible carbon monoxide poisoning but also overconsumption of energy.

5- Cooking smart

Even if heating represents the biggest part of your home's energy expenses, in the kitchen too you can lower your gas or electricity bill.

Whether you use an electric or gas hob, remember to always cover your pans when you need to boil water.

Not only will this little gesture save you time cooking your pasta or making yourself a tea or infusion, but more importantly it will save you 25% on energy consumption.

If you use your oven, remember to use the residual heat, i.e. the heat that remains in the oven after cooking.

You can take advantage of this residual heat to reheat other dishes or to connect with another cooking.

Grouping cookings together as we do in Batch cooking sessions avoids going through the energy-consuming preheating phase again.