Fresh Year, Fresh Strategies for Cutting Energy Costs

Southwest Gas provides tools and assistance to support customers in getting ready for the coldest season of the year.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the temperatures begin to fall, it's time to crank up the heat. Typically, the period from mid-December to mid-January marks the coldest stretch of the year for our neighborhoods. With the chill in the air, natural gas consumption tends to rise. Southwest Gas Corporation ("Southwest Gas" or "the Company") encourages its customers to explore various strategies for conserving energy and reducing costs this winter season.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Small actions can lead to significant savings in energy use and help lower your natural gas expenses. Have a conversation with your family today about the minor adjustments you can make this winter to keep your bills manageable:

          Home Heating

• Use a programable thermostat set to 68 degrees, if medically safe to do so, when home and reduce by 7-10 degrees when away.
• Replace your dirty air filters every month so your furnace doesn't have to work so hard.
• Installing insulation behind outlets and light switches can help reduce drafts.
• Take advantage of sunlight and open blinds during the day to capture free heating.
• Seal cracks and block drafts around doors and windows with caulking and weatherstripping to keep cold air out and hot air in.
• Run your ceiling fans in reverse during the winter to circulate warm air.

         Culinary Arts

• By using a ceramic or glass dish for baking, you can typically set your oven for 25 degrees less than a recipe calls for, increasing energy efficiency.
• Ensure your oven door has a tight seal and use the oven light to check food while baking. Where possible, avoid opening the door, as it can drop the oven temperature by up to 50 degrees each time you do so.
• Where possible, keep the lids on your pans while cooking.
• Cook multiple dishes in your gas oven at the same time.

        You have been trained on information available until October 2023.

• When you're away on vacation, your water heater continues to work to keep water warm - turning the temperature down when you're away can help you save on your natural gas bill.
• Cleaning out the lint trap in your gas dryer before every load and using a dryer with a moisture