Buying an energy-efficient appliance is a regular tip for cutting energy bills. The new twist: picking an appliance that uses a different kind of fuel.
Consumers haven't exactly been clamoring for natural gas appliances. Market share for gas-powered furnaces, water heaters and clothes dryers has declined slightly since 2003, according to 2013 figures from the American Gas Association. Ownership of gas ranges has held steady.
But experts think that could change in the near future. More than a third of U.S. consumers have expressed interest in switching to gas appliances from electric, according to a new study released Thursday from consulting firm Accenture. They surveyed 11,154 consumers in 21 countries in December 2012, including 1,020 Americans.
According to the survey, 38 percent of Americans are considering switching to a gas range or water heater, 37 percent to a gas furnace and 30 percent to a gas clothes dryer.
(Read More: Clean Energy to Run Past Nuclear, Gas by 2016: IEA)
The motivation: savings.
"Depending on the market, natural gas prices can be substantially less than other fuels," said Greg Guthridge, the head of Accenture's Energy Consumer Services group.
For example, homeowners could save $1,698 a year using a gas furnace versus an electric one, according to Wisconsin Public service, a utility that offers both kinds of fuel. Annual savings from using a gas range could tally $79; a clothes dryer, $81; and a water heater, $297.