subject: Classical Gas: Choosing A New Energy Supplier [print this page] There are many things we take for granted on a day-to-day basis. The food in our fridge, the water that flows from our taps and the energy that streams through our homes, powering everything from televisions and cookers, to hairdryers and game consoles the lifestyles we've become accustomed to certainly owe a lot to mankind's ability to harness and channel energy.
Of course, all this comes at a cost. As a fossil fuel that is found deep underground, the huge networks of wells and pipes that transports gas into our homes to give us hot water, hot food and warmth doesn't come for free. Like any public service, there are a number of suppliers to choose from. So what should you look for when deciding which service to go for?
Well, the chances are you're already hooked up to gas in your home, whether it's for your cooker/oven, your central heating or your hot water. And there are many advantages to having gas over electricity with cooking, for example, you can exert far more control over the temperature at which you cook, and the ignition is quicker too.
If you've been with the same gas supplier for a while, it's worth investigating other options. With the advent of the internet era, many suppliers offer preferential rates online and by signing up to a direct debit payment option, this could be your quickest way towards cheaper gas bills.
However, you must also decide if the rates quoted are going to be the biggest factor in your decision making. When shopping for anything, using price as the sole deciding factor can often be a false economy what you spend in the long run due to poor service or nasty hidden costs means you should look at what else is offered as part of the overall service.
For example, if your home has a rickety old gas boiler, you could be wasting valuable energy. If your boiler is more than ten years old, the chances are you'll need a new one. So check with different suppliers and see how much they charge for replacing boilers and what sort of guarantee they give with it.
A good gas supplier should take a great deal of interest in helping you save money no matter how small the cost is. So e-bills instead of paper bills can cut costs and environmental impact. Also, check out different suppliers' websites if it looks like they're taking an active interest in the energy industry and ways to optimise energy consumption and minimise needless waste, this demonstrates that they have an ethical ethos, which is bound to benefit you in the long run.
So the gas in our homes may be something that we all take for granted. It's worth stopping to think for a second how we'd get by without it and it's also worth doing a little digging around online to see if you could be using your gas more efficiently.
