A high gas bill is typically because of one of three reasons: Increased consumption. Increased prices. Incorrect meter reading. Let’s look at these one by one:

Increased consumption: If you’ve had your heating turned up due to cold weather, it would explain why your gas bill has risen. Or perhaps you’ve had people staying with you and you’ve used more hot water? That will also cost more money.

Controlling consumption can lower your gas bill. Little things like flipping the heating thermostat up and down will increase the amount of gas you use. As will long showers and deep baths. Put simply: use less, pay less.

Increased prices: It is unlikely that your gas tariff has risen so fast that your gas bill has jumped. Price rises usually come in slow, small steps. But, if you’ve reached the end of your tariff period, (usually at 12 months), you may have been automatically switched to Standard Variable Tariff. 

This can be more expensive. Check your tariff on your bill. Better still, use Compare to shop for a gas comparison from somewhere else. Switch gas supplier to save money.

Incorrect meter reading: Energy suppliers can issue a bill based on their estimate of how much gas you’ve used. This is instead of reading your meter. If you don’t have a smart meter installed, which tells the gas supplier exactly how much gas you use, your bill may be high because of an inflated estimate. Contact your energy provider to give them an accurate meter reading. Better still, have a smart meter fitted to stop bill-shock happening again.

There is probably no such thing as a typical gas bill. Where your home is located. How big it is. How many occupants. How much heat and hot water you use. What kind of gas tariff you’re on. These all affect your gas bill. 

However, according to UK Government figures, the average 2018 gas bill, taken from all users, was £56.33 per month. That was a 3.1% rise over 2017.

If your gas bill is much higher than this, try to lower your consumption, fit a smart meter, or compare gas prices with Compare. Switching gas supplier is often the best way to lower your bill.

Home heating and hot water are the bad boys when it comes to using gas. Typically, keeping your home warm and making lots of hot water will consume more than half the gas you buy. You can reduce the impact of this by lowering the heating thermostat and leaving it set. Flipping it up and down wastes energy.

You can also reduce the time you spend in the shower, or how deep you run the bath. Finally, check your gas boiler, radiators and hot water systems are efficient and well-insulated. Wasted heat is wasted money.

Natural gas is already classed as ‘green’. However, it is not renewable, so it’s only partially green. True green gas, which is made from organic sources such as plant waste, is called biomethane.

There are a few suppliers of this kind of gas in the UK. Bulb is currently the biggest. They say that in 2017-2018, 10% of the gas they supplied came from organic sources. Biomethane usually costs more than natural gas and it is not available everywhere. If you wish to switch to a green gas supplier, use Compare to get a gas comparison that can help save the planet.

No, it’s much cheaper. In 2018, average gas costs per unit were about a quarter of those for electric. Heating a home and making hot water with gas, despite inefficiencies in those systems, is almost always cheaper than using electricity.