15% reduction in gas consumption in the EU: how to save at home?

At this point, countries should have to reduce their gas consumption “voluntarily”, however if the situation gets complicated, the European Commission can make this measure mandatory, which can have some implications for companies and consumers, especially during the winter period.

By entering into this agreement, the Portuguese Government does not aim to require the Portuguese to go through deprivation, but rather to make a more controlled management of the gas they use in their homes.

• Pay attention to the pans you use: if you place a small pan on a large burner in the expectation that the food will cook faster, you are only using more gas. This is because the cooking time ends up being the same. So, if you want to cook something fast, what you should do is cut the food into smaller pieces and put less water in the pan so that it boils faster.
• Prepare food before you start cooking: before lighting the stove, have all the ingredients you will need at hand, preferably already cut. By doing this, you will be able to put them on the fire right away when the water starts to boil and thus avoid wasting time and gas.
  
  
• Adjust the water heater temperature: now that it's summer, it's even better to take a cooler shower. Therefore, try to reduce the temperature of your water heater. And when the weather gets cooler, adjust it again.
  
  
• Control the temperature at home: this tip is already thinking about winter. When choosing a radiator temperature above 20°C, each additional degree increases the energy bill by about 7%. Therefore, by reducing the temperature of the radiators by just 1 or 2°C, you will already be able to achieve significant savings at the end of the month. To do this control, you can use a thermostat.
  
  
• Place the radiator in a suitable place: when the cold comes and you really have to use the radiator, avoid placing it in a place where there are too many objects around you, so that they do not interfere with the radiation. Another trick is to place reflective panels behind radiators on uninsulated walls – this tip can improve your performance by 5-10%.
  
  
• Don't forget to do the annual maintenance of the radiators: it is important to check that these equipments are working correctly, especially at the beginning of the heating period. If you hear a noise like water falling or you notice that the radiator does not heat up evenly everywhere, you should try to understand what is going on in order to avoid wastage.

Source: idealist