What actually is natural gas?
Natural gas is a finite, non-renewable energy source as it takes millions or billions of years to form on Earth. Because natural gas is a non-renewable fuel, the price of natural gas will steadily increase as deposits of it around the world are used up.
The production and origin of natural gas
Natural gas has “natural” in its name as it occurs naturally in the ground in various areas across the world. It is formed from the remains of plants and animals, natural materials, over many, many years.
Natural gas, like other hydrocarbon fuels, is a fossil fuel. Once it is extracted from the ground, natural gas is used for electricity, heating and to fuel global industry. As natural gas is a fossil fuel, it does have a negative impact on the environment when it is used as an energy source.
The composition of natural gas as a fuel source
Natural gas is mostly composed of methane but also contains propane, nitrogen and ethane.
Natural gas is odourless in its natural state, so it has an artificial scent added to help consumers to detect leaks or faults in their home gas installation. This avoids dangerous gas leaks that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Is natural gas a clean energy option or does it damage the environment?
The relative advantages and disadvantages of natural gas and its effects on the environment are frequently debated.
While natural gas is a cleaner fossil fuel than energy sources such as coal or petroleum, natural gas still has a negative impact on the climate. It’s vital to keep our use of natural gas to a minimum in order to reduce our carbon footprint.
Of course, this is the best choice for reducing our carbon emissions, but it’s also vital for keeping our natural gas bills to a minimum.
Installing a Netatmo Smart Thermostat can help you to control and adjust your natural gas heating remotely, straight from your smartphone! The easy to install device improves your energy efficiency and brings down your heating and electricity bill.
The different types of natural gas
There are two types of natural gas: wet and dry.
Wet natural gas and dry natural gas
Whether natural gas is wet or dry depends on where it forms and where it is deposited. However, all types of natural gas are extracted from the ground in the same way.
Dry natural gas: produced from plant remains, stone, sand and other organic matter. Rising temperatures, via a process of millions or billions of years, then turned these remains into dry natural gas.
Wet natural gas: comes from marine algae debris and plankton. This debris first turns into bitumen, then oil. High temperatures and high pressures form this wet natural gas.
“Town gas” and natural gas
Before the 1960s, “town gas” was the gas fuel supplied to homes in the UK. This type of gas energy was produced by burning coal, producing gas fuel that was not a very safe fuel to use.
When natural gas reserves were discovered in the North Sea in the middle of the 1900s, the switch was made from “town gas” to natural gas. This new gas fuel is safer, cleaner and greener in comparison and is still used today.
The natural gas market in the UK
There are many natural gas suppliers that make up the UK market. There are multiple well established natural gas supply companies that still dominate the market to a large extent, but new natural gas suppliers are consistently emerging.
The customer chooses: the natural gas market in the UK
If you choose natural gas energy for your home, you can compare gas supply companies easily online. This affects prices, as natural gas suppliers are in direct competition to appeal to customers via offering a low price for natural gas supply.
This makes the prices of natural gas a major determining force in consumers’ choice of natural gas supplier. However, as we’ve seen, the price of natural gas is steadily increasing as it is a finite energy source.
That said, natural gas does remain a relatively affordable option in comparison with other energy options. While it is a comparably cheaper option that represents a fairly clean energy source, it by no means avoids damaging the environment.
Now, many natural gas companies help you to reduce and regulate your use of natural gas in order to reduce your carbon footprint. These natural gas suppliers use data from smart gas meter readings to accurately record your use of natural gas and help you make greener choices in terms of your energy use.
Gas market trends
While price is an important factor in consumers’ choice of gas supply, we are becoming increasingly conscientious about our use of natural gas for energy. It is, ultimately, a fossil fuel, so the use of natural gas contributes to your carbon footprint.
While global production of natural gas will not tail off any time soon, it’s vital that we as consumers make clean, green choices with our energy use. Renewable energy sources - such as solar energy and wind energy - are the best choice for reducing our carbon footprint.
Data shows that reducing our energy use can have a positive impact on the climate around the world. As such, it’s vital that if we do use natural gas, we reduce our use of natural gas as much as possible. Keep an eye on your natural gas meter in order to regulate your consumption!
Kwa kweli gesi ya asili ni nini? Gesi ya asili ni chanzo cha nishati cha mwisho, kisichobadilika kwani inachukua mamilioni au mabilioni ya miaka kuunda duniani. Kwa sababu gesi ya asili ni mafuta yasiyoweza kubadilika, bei ya gesi ya asili itaongezeka kwa kasi kadiri amana zake ulimwenguni zinavyotumiwa. Gesi ya asili ni asili ya asili ya asili ya asili ina "asili" katika jina lake kama inatokea kiasili katika ardhi katika maeneo mbalimbali duniani kote. Mimea na wanyama huchimbwa na viumbe wa asili kwa miaka mingi. Gesi ya asili, kama mafuta mengine ya hidrokarboni, ni mafuta ya visukuku. Baada ya kuchimbwa kutoka chini ya ardhi, gesi ya asili hutumiwa kwa umeme, joto na kuchochea viwanda vya kimataifa. Gesi ya asili ni mafuta ya makaa ya mawe, na ina athari mbaya kwa mazingira wakati inatumiwa kama chanzo cha nishati. Gesi ya asili ni chanzo cha mafuta, ambayo kwa kawaida hufanyizwa na methane, lakini pia ina propane, nitrojeni na ethan. Gesi ya asili haina harufu katika hali yake ya asili, kwa hivyo ina harufu ya bandia iliyoongezwa kusaidia watumiaji kugundua uvujaji au kasoro katika usakinishaji wao wa gesi ya nyumbani. Hilo huepuka kuvuja kwa gesi hatari ambayo yaweza kusababisha sumu ya kaboni monoksidi. Je, gesi ya asili ni chaguo la nishati safi au inaharibu mazingira? Faida na hasara za gesi ya asili na athari zake kwa mazingira mara nyingi huzungumziwa. Ingawa gesi ya asili ni safi zaidi kuliko mafuta ya mafuta kama vile makaa ya mawe, bado ina athari mbaya kwa hali ya hewa. Ni muhimu kuweka matumizi yetu ya gesi ya asili kwa kiwango cha chini ili kupunguza alama yetu ya kaboni. Bila shaka, hii ni chaguo bora kwa ajili ya kupunguza uzalishaji wetu wa kaboni, lakini pia ni muhimu kwa ajili ya kuweka bili zetu gesi ya asili kwa kiwango cha chini. Kufunga Netatmo Smart Thermostat inaweza kukusaidia kudhibiti na kurekebisha joto yako gesi ya asili kwa mbali, moja kwa moja kutoka smartphone yako! Mfumo huu rahisi wa kuunganisha unaboresha ufanisi wako wa nishati na kupunguza bili yako ya joto na umeme. Aina mbili za gesi ya asili: mvua na kavu. Gesi ya asili ya mvua na kavu - Ikiwa gesi ya asili ni mvua au kavu inategemea mahali inapojengwa na mahali inapowekwa. Hata hivyo, aina zote za gesi ya asili hutolewa kutoka ardhini kwa njia ileile. Gesi ya asili kavu: zinazozalishwa kutoka mabaki ya mimea, jiwe, mchanga na vitu vingine vya kikaboni. Kupanda kwa joto, kupitia mchakato wa mamilioni au mabilioni ya miaka, kisha kuligeuza mabaki haya kuwa gesi ya asili kavu. Gesi ya asili ya mvua: hutoka kwa mabaki ya mwani wa baharini na plankton. Mabaki hayo kwanza hubadilika kuwa lami, kisha mafuta. Joto la juu na shinikizo la juu hufanyiza gesi hii ya asili yenye unyevunyevu. "Gesi ya mji"" na gesi ya asili Kabla ya miaka ya 1960, ""gesi ya mji"" ilikuwa mafuta ya gesi iliyotolewa kwa nyumba nchini Uingereza. Aina hii ya nishati ya gesi ilitengenezwa kwa kuchoma makaa ya mawe, ikitoa mafuta ya gesi ambayo hayakuwa mafuta salama sana kutumia. Wakati akiba ya gesi ya asili iligunduliwa katika Bahari ya Kaskazini katikati ya miaka ya 1900, kubadili kutoka gesi ya mji kwa gesi ya asili ilifanywa. Mafuta haya mapya ya gesi ni salama zaidi, safi zaidi na ya kijani kibichi kwa kulinganisha na bado yanatumiwa leo. Soko la gesi ya asili nchini Uingereza ni mojawapo ya makampuni ya gesi ya asili ya Uingereza. Kuna kampuni nyingi za ugavi wa gesi asilia zilizoanzishwa vizuri ambazo bado zinatawala soko kwa kiwango kikubwa, lakini wauzaji wapya wa gesi asilia wanaibuka mara kwa mara. Mteja huchagua: soko la gesi ya asili nchini Uingereza Ikiwa unachagua nishati ya gesi ya asili kwa nyumba yako, unaweza kulinganisha makampuni ya usambazaji wa gesi kwa urahisi mtandaoni. Hii inaathiri bei, kwani wauzaji wa gesi ya asili wanashindana moja kwa moja ili kuvutia wateja kupitia kutoa bei ya chini ya usambazaji wa gesi ya asili. Hii inafanya bei ya gesi ya asili nguvu kuu ya kuamua katika watumiaji uchaguzi wa muuzaji wa gesi ya asili. Hata hivyo, kama tulivyoona, bei ya gesi ya asili inaongezeka kwa kasi kama ni chanzo cha nishati ya mwisho. Hiyo ilisema, gesi ya asili bado ni chaguo la bei nafuu ikilinganishwa na chaguzi nyingine za nishati. Ingawa ni chaguo la bei nafuu na chanzo safi cha nishati, haizuii kuharibu mazingira. Kampuni nyingi za gesi za asili zinakusaidia kupunguza na kudhibiti matumizi yako ya gesi ya asili ili kupunguza alama yako ya kaboni. Wauzaji wa gesi ya asili hutumia data kutoka kwa kusoma kwa mita za gesi za smart kurekodi kwa usahihi matumizi yako ya gesi ya asili na kukusaidia kufanya chaguzi za kijani kibichi katika suala la matumizi yako ya nishati. """Wakati bei ni sababu muhimu katika uchaguzi wa watumiaji wa ugavi wa gesi, tunakuwa na dhamiri zaidi juu ya matumizi yetu ya gesi ya asili kwa nishati." Ni, hatimaye, mafuta ya visukuku, hivyo matumizi ya gesi ya asili inachangia alama yako ya kaboni. Wakati uzalishaji wa kimataifa wa gesi asilia hautatoweka wakati wowote hivi karibuni, ni muhimu kwamba sisi kama watumiaji tufanye chaguzi safi, za kijani na matumizi yetu ya nishati. Vyanzo vya nishati mbadala - kama vile nishati ya jua na nishati ya upepo - ni chaguo bora kwa kupunguza alama yetu ya kaboni. Takwimu zinaonyesha kuwa kupunguza matumizi yetu ya nishati inaweza kuwa na athari nzuri kwa hali ya hewa duniani kote. Kama vile, ni muhimu kwamba kama sisi kufanya kutumia gesi ya asili, sisi kupunguza matumizi yetu ya gesi ya asili kama iwezekanavyo. Angalia mita yako ya gesi ya asili ili kudhibiti matumizi yako!