Why is my gas bill so high? This is a frequently asked question, especially during the winter. Typically, the answer lies in seasonal variations, with gas rates and usage peaking in winter and declining in summer
However, several other factors can also contribute to high gas bills. These include energy market volatility, inefficient home insulation, and outdated appliances.
Read this comprehensive guide to understand why your gas bill is so high, what factors affect it, and how to lower it.
What Causes My Gas Bill So High?
There are various reasons why gas bills can be high. Inefficient consumption and gas rate fluctuations are primarily responsible. Below are the details.
Energy Market Fluctutation
The current energy market is volatile and unpredictable. The US is a major importer of gas from Canada. So, owing to recent energy market disruptions, slow economic growth, and climate change, gas prices have increased overall. This surge might have direct consequences on your gas bill.
However, this is out of an individual’s control, and only practicing energy conservation techniques can help.
Impact Of Season
The boost in demand for gas in winter is obvious. Though it is used throughout the year, various household activities like the use of gas heaters and other related appliances uptick its demand in winter. This increase has direct consequences on the price, which also goes up with demand. So, this can also be a reason for your high gas bills.
Faults In Home Appliances
Inefficient and outdated home appliances are another big reason for high gas bills. While you cannot control the rules of global gas supply, you can definitely probe these factors.
Usually, common home appliances like gas ranges, heaters, and dryers become less efficient as they age, requiring more gas to function at the same temperature. However, this issue can be effectively addressed through periodic maintenance of your appliances.
Poor Insulation
Among all home appliances, heaters use most of the gas. In winter, a significant amount of heat is lost due to poor home insulation. This prolongs the heater's use to maintain an optimum temperature inside the home, ultimately increasing the gas use and its bills.
Thermostat Malfunctioning
Thermostats are devices that control your home's heating and cooling appliances to keep its temperature balanced.
The old thermostats need to be operated manually and due to human errors in many of the cases, heaters keep working even after the desired temperature is achieved. Further, thermostat malfunction causes them to change temperature rapidly and even set the wrong temperature threshold. All this adds up to high gas usage and, eventually high gas bills.
How I Can Reduce My Gas Bills?
High gas bills can surely be a burden on your pocket. However, regardless of the season, you can significantly reduce your gas bills by implementing some careful approaches. Here’s a comprehensive discussion of these factors.
Compare Your Gas Supplier
In many US states, the energy market is deregulated. This means you can choose the gas company that best suits your preferences. This deregulation spurs an atmosphere of competition. Different gas companies offer different packages with the lowest gas rates.
So, if you are in a state with a deregulated gas market, compare the price plans of different companies and choose the lowest one.
Change Your Gas Plan
There are different plans available that dictate your gas price per unit. For most customers, this plan is set at variable rates, which means increased rates with increased demand and decreased rates with decreased demand.
Contrary to this, the Fixed-rate plan has predetermined rates that neither change depending on demand nor are vulnerable to fluctuations in the gas market. With such a plan, you only need to lower your gas consumption, and your bills will be lowered automatically.
Maintain Your Home Insulation
Home insulations are successful solutions to lowering gas and electricity bills. They limit heat exchange with the environment, eventually lowering the running period of your HVAC appliances and saving your gas bills.
For effective insulation, you can use weather strips to cover areas like doors and windows. Further, fill wall gaps by caulking, and for an extra layer of protection, apply insulation foam around your walls.
Additionally, a home energy audit is crucial to ensure maximum energy conservation. You can either hire a professional for this purpose or do it yourself by following simple DIY solutions.
Rely on Energy Star Appliances
Gas overuse by your appliances could be the primary reason for your high electricity bills. One possible solution to negate such risks is periodic maintenance of your devices, especially your HAVC system. This regular inspection will not only help you save on your gas bills but will also boost the lifespan of your appliances.
Further, when you buy new electronics, make sure they are recommended by Energy Star. This government initiative recommends appliances that are sustainable, environmentally friendly and highly energy efficient.
Install A Smart Thermostat
Investing in a smart thermostat could be your best decision to curtail your high gas bills. These smart devices can be controlled through Wi-Fi, which means you can remotely adjust your home temperature. But how can this lower your gas bills?
By remotely adjusting your thermostat, you can only use your HVAC system when you are at home. Further, instead of heating or cooling the whole home, you can go the extra mile by adjusting the temperature of specified rooms, which can ultimately help you save significant amounts on your gas bill.
Why My Gas Bill Is So High In Summer
Extensive use of heaters in winter could raise your bill. However, if your gas bill is high in summer while your use is minimal, this could be a point to ponder.
One potential reason could be overall gas price hikes. But if this is not the case, then the chances are that this high bill is due to a gas leak. This leak could be caused by a faulty appliance, a poorly managed gas pipeline, or an outdoor leak from your main connection.
The best solution is to call your gas company and have a thorough checkup. But if this is not feasible at the time, you can smell the suspected area. If you find any pungent smell, immediately evacuate the area and call 911. Make sure you are not igniting anything, as the gas leakage can catch fire.
Which Appliances Use The Most Gas
Heating is the most common use of gas. Space and water heaters use most of the gas in a common household. According to some estimates, they account for around 40% to 50% of a home's total gas usage. However, these figures may decrease or increase depending on personal use and the size of your home.
Further, the American Gas Association says that around 85% of consumers use gas for space heating, while 72% use it for both water and space heating.
Other appliances, such as stoves and dryers, also use gas, but their overall consumption is much less than that of heaters.
What is the Average Cost of Gas Per Month In The USA?
The average gas bill in the US lies between $60 to $70. However, this is a variable that depends on your lifestyle, your gas consumption patterns, the size and location of your home and the number of appliances in your home.
In case your gas consumption is moderate but still your bill is high above the average. You must compare your gas provider rates with those of other competitive companies, as this could be due to the high gas rates per unit.
Lastly, if you are practising gas conservation, you may qualify for different government rebates. To learn about these programs and check your eligibility, you can explore your state's gas supply company’s website.
Can Solar Panels Help You Lower Your Gas Bills
YES! In today's technologically advanced era, solar panels are the best alternatives to gas and electricity. They not only help you lower your gas bill, but their produced energy is sustainable and environmentally friendly.
The primary use of gas is heating homes, which consumes a substantial chunk of your total gas consumption. With solar panels, you can use electric heaters instead for the same purpose. This will make you insulated from high gas bills. Additionally, by running your other electrical appliances on solar power, you can further reduce your electrical bills too.
Below are two BLUETTI solar setups reviewed in this regard. These units can effectively run the heating pumps while also producing extra electricity to support the power needs of other home appliances.
BLUETTI AC300 + B300
This pure sine wave inverter has an output capacity of 3000W and a surge capacity of 6000W. This means it can effortlessly run a heat pump of 800W to 900W while having a substantial power supply to run your other home appliances.
The unit comes with a LiFePO4 battery with a capacity of 3072Wh, which can be further extended to 12288Wh with additional B300 batteries, ensuring a reliable power backup for hours and even days.
Further, this battery offers 3500 plus charge cycles, which means it has a lifespan of more than 10 years with one charge cycle per day.
But that’s not all. With its 7 different charging streams, including solar, AC, generator, Solar+AC, and lead-acid battery, you can charge your AC300 batteries with any feasible method even if sunlight is not available.
If you're still unsure about your decision, its Price Match Guarantee could help. This means if you find a similar system cheaper than this, you can claim your extra amount within 30 days of purchase.
BLUETTI EP500 + 3*PV200
Want to go on a camping trip but are worried about the extreme cold there? If so, we have the BLUETTI EP500 for you. This portable unit has a LiFePO4 with an extensive capacity of 5120Wh and 6000+ charge cycles.
Its 2000W output capacity ensures an uninterruptible power supply for heat pumps and other essential appliances. Also, with its 10 plus output ports, it is compatible with almost all of your home appliances.
Safety comes first when going outside in extreme temperatures. EP500 has a special Battery Management System that ensures safety for both you and the system itself. Further, its sleek design makes it easy to adjust in your RV or camp.
Lastly, for a more smooth experience, the unit is integrated with a dual-core micro computer so can handle all your operations through Wifi, Bluetooth, and BLUETTI smart app.
Final Words
High gas bills in winter are common. Though they could be a nuisance, with a little care and attention, you can significantly reduce them. Still, using gas to heat your home is not recommended due to its potential health risks and environmental impacts.
Solar generators are the best alternatives. They will not only help you save on your gas bills but could also help you go off-grid. You can explore BLUETTI to find the most cost-effective and reliable unit that aligns with your personal preferences.
