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The year 2021 has been quite challenging. Aside from the ongoing pandemic, the effects of climate change such as wildfires, floods, longer winters, and heat waves have also impacted the lives of various people across the globe. The unprecedented change in our climate has also contributed to a natural gas shortage, which led to an ongoing energy crisis in Europe and it may soon affect communities worldwide. Currently, UK, Germany, France, and Spain are all affected by the shortage. Netherland’s energy prices are also on the rise.

Cutting down on your energy costs may soon be necessary

Because of the energy crisis, Europeans are facing a record-high surge in natural gas prices. For comparison, a family of four in the Netherlands used to spend around €507 last year as opposed to €1,299 in 2021. Many consumers are concerned that they will be hit hard by higher energy bills, especially with winter just around the corner. Luckily, there are ways to conserve energy without sacrificing your comfort.

You can avoid high energy bills by taking charge of your consumption. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs, turn your thermostat down, and avoid leaving your appliances plugged in when not in use. If your house relies on central heating, you can also consider turning it off at night and using electric blankets so you can still sleep comfortably while saving on energy.

Why is there a natural gas shortage?

The energy crisis Europe is facing is about to go global as natural gas prices continue to soar. Governments all around the world are warning of blackouts and factory shutdowns, which will likely cause the prices of commodities to go up. The natural gas shortage stems from various factors such as:

• Higher Demand for Residential Heating Last Year

Because of the unusually colder winter and widespread remote work last year, the demand for residential heating was at an all-time high. In turn, the overall European gas demand increased by 7.6% in the first quarter of 2021.

• Europe’s Domestic Natural Gas Production Decreased

The Netherlands is Europe’s top domestic producer of natural gas. After recurrent earthquakes severely impacted gas production costs, the Dutch government decided to phase out their main gas field Groningen in 2018.

• The Largest Exporter of Natural Gas Cuts on Volume

Russia, the largest natural gas exporter to the European Union, started pumping less natural gas to Europe in August after a fire erupted at one of its major gas refineries—Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant. There are also some speculations that Russia could be leveraging the crisis to lobby for their newly constructed Nord Stream 2 pipeline to come online, which will cut out Ukraine as a transit state for gas into northern Europe.

• Global Demand for Natural Gas Soars

The competition for natural gas supply among markets across the globe intensifies as demand rises after the shock of the pandemic. This is due to a global economic rebound as countries attempt to fully reopen their economies and lift COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, natural gas prices continue to soar.

As it stands, European gas reserves are low at only 72%, compared to 94% last year. The natural gas reserves used during the winter last year could not be replenished in summer. With the need to replenish these reserves, Europe has to compete with Asia for natural gas, which further exacerbates the gas price increase.

• China’s Efforts to Cut Down on Carbon Emissions

Equally concerned over climate change, China is making an effort to reduce its industrial emissions from fossil fuels. The country is cutting down on its reliance on coal for energy and switching to natural gas. As a result, China has become the largest importer of liquid natural gas in the world. This makes China a huge competitor of Europe when it comes to the natural gas supply.

How will the energy crisis affect you?

Aside from the prices of commodities rising, the energy crisis will also affect the European government’s ability to provide people with enough gas for heating. With winter right around the corner, this poses a host of problems to hundreds of millions of Europeans as they may have to deal with inflated energy bills or live in cold homes.

Perhaps, the biggest problem you may face is how to stay warm without leaving a huge dent in your wallet. Protecting you and loved ones against drops in temperature is an absolute necessity given the current global climate. Cold weather can affect your body’s ability to fight off infections, illnesses, and viruses and overall affects your sleep. An uncomfortable drop in temperature will make it harder for you to fall asleep, but keeping your thermostat turned on all the time is not an option lest your energy bill skyrocket.

What can you do during this natural gas shortage?

As the winter months approach, people will soon spend even more time at home. This means that more households will be keeping their heat, lights, computers, and appliances on for longer. As a result, people may face higher energy bills.

Fortunately, there are ways to cut heating and other energy costs and still stay warm and comfortable as the weather gets colder such as:

• Inspect and Maintain Heating Equipment

Now that winter is soon approaching, it’s a good time for some basic maintenance of your heating systems.

Make sure to keep your heater’s filters clean, so the equipment doesn’t have to work harder than it needs to. Keep in mind that some filters can be cleaned and reused, but there are also that others must be replaced entirely.

If you want to make sure that the maintenance job is done right, you should consider calling an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) professional for some assistance.

• Mind Your Appliances

Don’t leave appliances such as TVs, toasters, lamps, and microwave ovens on standby. Remember to unplug laptops, tablets, and mobile phones when they are fully charged. When left plugged in, your appliances still consume energy even when not in use.

As work and school continues to shift from the office to our home, many people continuously use technology for homework, jobs, entertainment, and socializing. This will be even more evident as we begin to spend more time indoors this coming winter. As a result, energy use and bills are expected to hike.

One way to mitigate your energy consumption is through the energy saver mode on your devices, appliances, and even some heating equipment. This goes a long way toward easily reducing energy use without sacrificing performance. Depending on your products, energy saver mode may also be called “low power mode,” “battery saver,” or something similar.

• Insulate Your Home

One of the most efficient ways of saving energy is insulating your home. This is because insulation traps the heat in your home during winter while keeping it cool in the summer. By keeping your house well insulated, you will improve its energy efficiency and it will need very little additional heating and cooling.

There are many parts of your home that you can insulate such as your roofs, floors, walls, windows, and doors to achieve maximum energy efficiency. Perhaps the part of your home that you should prioritize when insulating is the walls. This is because a typical house with walls that are not insulated will lose around 30–40% of the heat.

Next, consider insulating your roof since it accounts for approximately 25% of heat loss. Your windows and doors come next since they account for 20%. Lastly, the floor should also be insulated.

• Turn the Thermostat Down

Consider turning your thermostat down. By reducing your room temperature by even just 1°C, you could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. If you live in the UK, this action alone would typically help you save around £55 yearly!

You can also opt to switch to a smart thermostat, which can be programmed, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.

There are some smart thermostats that would even let you control your heating and cooling system through phone or voice or via a mobile app. A smart thermostat can cost you anywhere from £150 to £250, but it can end up paying for itself with all savings you can get on energy costs.

Finally, Wellcare believe by conserving energy, we are not only saving on our utility bills, but we are also helping preserve earth's limited resources. Together with your effort, we can make world a better place and leave a healthier environment for our descendants.

How to stay warm and comfortable while saving energy?

Keeping yourself warm and getting enough sleep should be your priority, during winter or any other time of the year. Getting enough sleep and staying warm gives you energy and contributes to your happiness. While there are some concerns that your energy bill may spike up if you keep the heat on all the time in your home, there are other ways for you to stay warm while saving on energy costs such as:

Use Electric Blankets

One way to keep warm without fear of getting a high energy bill is to use electric blankets. Because of the increase in heating costs, more people today are using electric blankets. These days, electric blankets are more efficient and are made to higher standards of quality than ever before. At only a fraction of the cost of your entire heating bill, electric blankets keep you warm when you need it most.

Another benefit of electric blankets is that they help you to sleep more comfortably. Temperature changes can easily disrupt your sleep. With an electric blanket, you can keep your body temperature consistent, ensuring you are able to sleep comfortably throughout the night.

Wellcare has developed electric blankets with 4D DWF (Dynamic Warmth Flow) technology, which incorporates several holes in their product’s design. These holes make 4D DWF technology unique.

Traditional flexible heating products release heat only through tiny gaps in woven or non-woven pieces of fabric. On the other hand, Wellcare’s products make use of the 4D DWF technology and are designed to have many holes in their fabric, allowing heat to escape.

Unlike other heating products, Wellcare products don’t have to be in direct contact with your skin to keep you warm. By designing products with 4D DWF technology, Wellcare offers a way for you to stay warm more efficiently and helps you create a comfortable temperature around you. Aside from electric blankets, Wellcare also offers heating cushions, heating pads and electric foot warmer that bring you warmth and comfort.

Use Heating Cushions

You can also take advantage of heating cushions to stay warm. Heating cushions are affordable, portable, and convenient devices that can help you sleep better. ​​These cushions use electricity to produce heat and can be used to warm various parts of your body.

Aside from keeping you warm and comfortable, heating cushions can help you relax and heal your muscles. This is because the heat it provides causes the blood vessels in the area where it is applied to dilate. In turn, this increases the flow of oxygen to your blood vessels, helping your damaged muscles relax.

Use Electric Foot Warmers

Nobody likes having freezing cold feet. It’s uncomfortable and bad for your health. Whenever you are exposed to colder temperatures, the blood vessels in your hands and feet will constrict. When this happens, the blood flow to your extremities is reduced significantly, which also diminishes the amount of heat the body loses. To maintain warmth and blood flow in your vital organs, your body reduces the blood flow in your hands and feet, making them feel cold.

Over time, the reduced blood flow in your extremities can cause decreased oxygen in the tissues, which may cause them to turn bluish. To avoid this, using electric foot warmers can help you. Aside from that, they can also keep you warm and comfortable whenever there is a drop in temperature.

Build the Best Bed Climate

When it comes to getting enough sleep, staying in a comfortable environment is essential. If the temperature in your room is too hot or too cold, you might end up tossing and turning in your bed all night. To make sure you can get a good night’s sleep, you have to create the perfect bed climate.

Also known as microclimate or sleep environment, your bed climate is essential in maintaining your thermal comfort while you sleep. To help you foster this environment, Wellcare developed “BBC design” to create a breathable, comfortable, and non-stuffy sleep environment. BBC design is implemented in all their products such as pillows, comforters, sheets, mattresses, electric blankets, foot warmers, and fragrances.

Relax with Wellcare

From heating pads, heating cushions, foot warmers to electric blankets, Wellcare has a wide range of solutions to help you sleep better and keep your feet warm at all times. For your complete warmth, comfort, and safety, these are made using only the finest available materials.

Our products are also equipped with the 4D Dynamic Warmth Flow system (4D DWF). Innovation in electric heating technology, the 4D DWF mimics the human body’s breathing to ensure even heat distribution throughout the surface of the product.

Click on the link below to buy Wellcare's unique heating products now!