Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-05
REDUCING GAS BILLS.
How a Large Household Can be
Supplied on Five Cents a Day.
FOR THAT PURPOSE.
President Weihe Wants Union Men to Stay
Away From California.
GIIST OF A DAY FROM LABOR CIRCLES

Now that the manufacturing establish
ments have been denied gas Tor fuel, in order
that private consumers may have an abund-
ant supply, a great many people are trying
to discover means by which they cannot
only economic IN the use OF gas, but reduce
the size OF their bills.
Most of the consumers were compelled to
take meters, and at rate of 10 cents a
thousand feet wasteiul use of the fuel will
mean enormous bills.
There are many ways in which gas can be
used so as to produce the required amount
of heat, with much less fuel than the ma
iority of people consume. Probably three
ffths OF the people imagine that unless
CRATE or stove is filled with pieces of brick
or fire clay, heat is wasted. The fact of the
matter is that ali through gas and oil terri
tories, where few CRATES are used, people use
no bricks at all. On the contrary, burners
are used that permit free flow Of gas, and
the fame is large, red and glowing. No
more gas is required, and the same heat can
be attained.
HOW OTHERS ARE DOING.
In New York and Chicago, the gas used
for heating and cooking purposes is used in
stoves especially prepared for the purpose.
Artificial gas, OF course. is burned. and at a
rate of 81 thousand, and 200 feet Of the
natural gas equals at leat !, 1885 feet of
artificial gas for heating purposes.
1t thus remains with the people them
selves to gauge the size of their gas bills.
One consumer in Allegheny said yesterday
that his bill for November was equal to the
bills for three months previous, and nowhere
has the supply been as short in Allegheny
during that time.
However, even with the lowest pressure
that has prevailed in Allegheny at any
time, with proper appliances, consumers
could have plenty Of heat and reduced gas
bills.
The market is flooded with stoves for heat
ing purposes that will not consume over ten
feet an hour, on one-inch pressure. The
pressure in either city has not been below
three inches at any time this winter. One
of these stoves could be used constantly for
10 hours each day at a cost of 2L cents, cal
culating at the present rate OF 10 cents
thousand.
Cooking stoves are made for use in small
families which consume So cubic feet an
hour. 1t In use four hours each day the
q ..
1t is not difficult to compare these figures
with some monthly bills that consumers
have had to pay since the meter system went
into effect
WHAT CONSUMERS CAN DO.
Ranges, suitable for large families. in
cluding hot oven, broiler, baker, and all ap-
pliances complete for cooking for large
households, are fitted up so as to consume
fact ha
range would consume 81 0s worth of gas.
For house of five rooms, in which one of
the ranges and four heating stoves were
used, the monthly bill would be So CO.. It
is safe to say this IS less than half the size
of the majority of gas bills at present, and
shows what consumers are capable Of doing
in the premises.
There is an advantage in burning gas in
enclosed stoves, as the fumes are confined,
and prevented from polluting the atmosphere
OF rooms. Hot-air furnaces. if properly con-
structed, are the best for residences, as pure
air is conveyed from the exterior of the
building into the rooms.
There is another effectual way in which
gas can be saved, and which is acknowl-
edged by gas officials. By turning on the
gas in each fire to point necessary to pro-
duce the greatest amount of heat required at
any time, and then reducing the pressure
back of the meter to an equal point, there
will never be a needless use of fuel, and bills
will, of course, be less.
Since the return to coal in mills coal has
been in great demand, and prices have
raised from 8 to 9 cents a bushel, and it is
thought they will go still higher in a Jew
days. 1t is argued that ii the price is showed
up much higher, many private consumers
will continue to struggle along with gas in
preference to going back to coal.