Local weather stations have predicted an average temperature of 51 degrees for April. Because this is a colder-than-normal April forecast, there are factors that may impact your bill and ways that you can manage your energy more efficiently. If you think your heating bill is higher than normal, there could be several reasons, including the cold weather, clogged filters, new or additional appliances or previous low estimated bills.
Using NJNG's new Conserve to Preserve Dashboard is a great way to track your natural gas usage to help you conserve energy and lower your bills. To use this interactive, user-friendly tool, login (or register) to My Account Information.
NJNG customers receive a bill each month for their gas usage and any other charges for service. You will receive an actual bill any month your meter is read and a calculated bill any month your meter is not read. All calculations are based on the past usage history of your account. If you move into a recently built house or apartment with no usage history, we estimate the bill based upon the size of your appliances.
To help you save energy in your home, try the following conservation tips:
• Install a programmable thermostat. Make sure it is programmed to automatically turn down the heat when you are not home and when you are sleeping.
• Turn your water heater's thermostat to 120 degrees. (If you have an older model dishwasher, consult the manufacturer’s directions which may require higher water temperatures).
• Take short showers. They use less hot water than a bath.
• If you have a natural gas dryer, clean the lint filter after every load. Clogged filters can drive up drying costs.
• Wash and dry only full loads of laundry. The machine uses about the same amount of water whether you wash a full load or just one item.
• Turn your thermostat down 5 degrees. Each degree saves about 2 percent on your heating bill.
• Clean or replace filters on warm-air furnaces as needed.
• Buy ENERGY STAR products. These products include natural gas and electric appliances, ceiling fans, electronic equipment, compact fluorescent light bulbs and several other products that use energy. Go to http://www.energystar.gov/ for a complete list of these products, or call toll free at 1-888-782-7937.
For more energy-saving tips, click here.
Beacon Technologies, Inc.
