The most important sustainability etiquette rules to save natural gas. The proper practices to limit the usage of natural gas and its bills.
What natural gas etiquette is
Today, sustainability has a crucial role in our modern social etiquette. On many occasions, behaviors that can harm the environment are no longer accepted.
Natural gas etiquette is the set of rules to manage and limit our consumption of natural gas. Such rules help us avoid behaviors that may lead to waste and have a negative environmental impact. They include:
- How to save natural gas by limiting our personal consumption.
- The appropriate behaviors at home and in other venues.
- The behaviors to avoid.
Everyone should follow natural gas etiquette to save natural gas, limit negative environmental impact, save money on natural gas bills, and avoid behaviors that may upset others.
Natural gas etiquette rules
1) Turn the heating off
Natural gas is mostly used for heating homes, heating water, and cooking. Usually, the majority of our domestic consumption of natural gas is for house heating. Thus, the best way to save on natural gas bills is to optimize the heating of your home.
Keep the heating off whenever possible. When no one is at home, you can switch the heating off. If the outside temperature allows it, you can keep the heating low at night. During the day, keep the curtains open to allow the sunlight in, which contributes to warming the rooms up. Consider buying a programmable thermostat to control the heating and avoid wasting natural gas.
Insulate windows and doors to avoid dispersing heat. Covering the floors with carpet helps keep the house warmer.
2) Control the temperature
The warmer the temperature, the higher the consumption of natural gas.
Set the heating at a temperature between 18°C (64°F) and 20°C (68°F) during the day. During the night, you can lower the temperature to between 15°C (59°F) and 18°C (64°F).
3) Limit the consumption of hot water
In many homes, natural gas is used for heating water. Thus, by limiting your consumption of hot water, you save natural gas. Never keep hot water running if you do not need it. Try to cut your shower time by as much as possible. Every minute of shower consumes up to 15 liters of water.
4) Limit the usage of ovens and stoves
Avoid cooking dishes that require a long cooking time. Ovens consume more natural gas to heat up than to keep the temperature. Thus, after you heat the oven up, try to cook as many dishes as possible in the same run.
5) Use smaller pots and pans
You can save natural gas by using pots and pans of the right size. Smaller pots or pans heat up faster than larger ones. Similarly, if you cover the pot or pan with a lid, you avoid wasting heat and natural gas.
6) Eat cold dishes more often
Try to substitute hot dishes with cold dishes that do not require cooking. Such as salads or preserves.
Natural gas etiquette with your guests
When you have guests, it is not appropriate to excessively limit the usage of natural gas in your house. Instead, make sure that every room you are hosting in is appropriately warm and comfortable.
Natural gas etiquette: the worst mistakes
The Rude Index identifies and ranks negative behaviors.
A high score (8-10) means that the behavior has the potential to trigger a conflict with others. A medium score (4-7) means that the behavior risks making you look inelegant and unsophisticated. Read more about the Rude Index and its methodology here.
Avoid the worst save natural gas etiquette mistakes.
- 9/10. Wasting natural gas.
- 8/10. Keeping the heating on when it is not needed.
- 7/10. Setting the house heating at a too high temperature.
- 7/10. Using hot water when it is not necessary.
Resources
- American Gas Association – Research & Insights: aga.org