Make small changes and see big savings.
Here is an estimate for consumption of natural gas per appliance. It is helpful to know how your appliances use energy in order to make the necessary adjustments to lower their consumption.
| Appliance | Average therms used |
| Water Heater | 24 therms/month |
| Range | 2 therms/month |
| Dryer | 5 therms/month |
| Gas Logs | 3 therms every 8 hours |
| Gas Grill | .23 therms per use |
| (according to Atlanta Gas Light Company) | |
Below are tips for conserving natural gas:
- Install a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts to different temperatures you set for when you are home and when you are away. You could save 10-15 % annually by simply programming your thermostat 5° lower for at least 8 hours a day during the winter.
- Open draperies, blinds, or shutters during the day to allow the warmth of the sun in, then close them at night to slow the loss of heat.
- Clear all registers of furniture.
- Use a humidifier during colder months. When air is moist, it feels warmer allowing you to lower the temperature and still feel comfortable.
- Set your thermostat to 65-67° while you are home and lower it to 55-60° degrees when you are away or asleep.
- Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely; in just 1 hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done their job.
- Turn off any lights you are not actively using and consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.
- Refrain from keeping your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40° F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5° F for the freezer. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be maintained at 0°s F.
Each degree of heating or cooling can cost an additional four to five percent in energy costs. Leaving the thermostat at factory set points will maintain comfort without breaking the bank.