New Tool Helps Israelis Gauge Gas Bill Savings

A new online tool launched by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure allows Israeli consumers to calculate potential savings on their household gas bills. The "My Personal Savings" feature, integrated into an existing gas price comparison calculator, enables users to input their current gas supplier, bi-monthly consumption in cubic meters, and the amount of their last bill. For those using gas cylinders, the price per cylinder can be entered instead.

The tool then estimates the average annual savings achievable by switching to the cheapest supplier in their residential area. Significantly, even consumers already with what they believe is the cheapest provider may find they are overpaying. If a user's reported bill exceeds the average price reported by their current supplier, the calculator will highlight the potential savings and suggest negotiating a lower rate with their company.

An additional feature caters to residents in buildings with central gas systems. This function helps identify other buildings connected to the same system, potentially facilitating collective action for switching suppliers. The ministry also released two guides detailing the process of changing gas suppliers, one for private homes and another for apartments in buildings with central gas.

These updates come after ministry checks revealed substantial price discrepancies among gas suppliers, which can amount to hundreds or even thousands of shekels annually for consumers.