Natural gas has varied energy densities depending on its quality. As a result, we utilize a somewhat more complicated equation to convert m3 to kWh:
The metric that changes is the caloric value of natural gas. It’s normally approximately 40.0, although it might vary by +/-5 percent depending on the quality of natural gas. The correction factor is 1.02264, while the conversion factor for kWh is 3.6.
We recommend using the higher equation for exceptionally precise calculations. However, we can simplify it quite a little without losing more than 5% accuracy.
If you wish to convert m3 to kWh, simply use the following formula:
Let’s look at both quantities before using the calculator to convert m3 gas to kWh:
How do you convert kWh from natural gas?
To begin, you must first determine if you have an imperial or metric meter:
- Your reading will be in hundreds of cubic feet for imperial meters (100ft cubed)
- Cubic meters are used to record metric meter readings (m cubed)
All you have to do to convert imperial meter readings to kWh is:
- To calculate the volume of gas utilized, take a meter reading and then subtract the new meter reading from the old measurement.
- Multiply the units by 2.83 to convert from imperial to metric.
- Add the volume adjustment factor to the result (1.02264)
- Multiply by the calorific value of the food (40.0)
- Multiply by the kWh conversion factor (3.6)
You’ll need to use 0.0283 instead of 2.83 for step 2 if your imperial meter measures in cubic feet rather than hundreds of cubic feet. You’ll need to use 28.3 instead if it needs thousands of cubic feet. The higher units of measurement are commonly indicated by the words ‘x100’ or ‘x1000’ on your meter.
Calculate your reading as described in the previous section. Multiply the units by 2.83 to convert from imperial to metric. Add the volume adjustment factor to the result (1.02264). Multiply by the calorific value of the food (40.0). Multiply by the kWh conversion factor (3.6).
What is the energy content of 1 m3 natural gas?
Natural gas is used in Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) in the same way that it is piped into millions of households for cooking and heating.
Natural gas is a fairly simple fuel at the molecular level. Methane (CH4), which is only one carbon atom with four hydrogen atoms connected, makes up around 90% of natural gas, with propane, butane, and other components making up the rest. The composition of natural gas varies depending on the source.
Hydrogen, which is actually an energy ‘carrier’ rather than an energy source, is the only simpler fuel accessible. Because there is currently no cost-effective technique of producing and delivering significant amounts of hydrogen, natural gas will continue to be the clean fuel of choice for some time. Natural gas is frequently utilized as a feedstock due to its high hydrogen content, which is one of the reasons why natural gas cars are sometimes referred to as the “road to the hydrogen economy.” Ultimately, a natural gas infrastructure investment is a hydrogen infrastructure investment.
Because natural gas takes up more space than typical liquid fuels, it must be compressed or liquefied before being used in transportation. NGVs are most commonly used with compressed natural gas (CNG), while Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is becoming more popular. The refueling page has more information about the various steps.
It is critical to evaluate the energy content of fuels when evaluating pricing. CNG is sold by the kilogram or cubic meter (m3), while LNG is sold by the litre. Natural gas has about 38.3* megajoules per cubic metre (MJ/m3), which is about the same amount of energy as a litre of diesel (38.8* Mj/l). CNG or LNG is marketed by the Gasoline per Gallon Equivalent (GGE) or Diesel per Gallon Equivalent (DGE) in various countries (DGE). Because the energy content has already been taken into consideration in these circumstances, a direct comparison of gasoline prices may be done.
How much kWh is produced per cubic foot of natural gas?
In 2021, the yearly average amounts of coal, natural gas, and petroleum fuels used by US electric utilities and independent power providers to create a kilowatthour (kWh) of electricity were:1
- 1.12 pound/kWh coal
- Natural gas is a renewable energy source.
- 7.40 cubic feet per kilowatt-hour
- 0.08 gallon per kWh of petroleum liquids
- 0.80 pound/kWh petroleum coke
Electric utilities and independent power producers in the United States generated the following yearly average number of kWh per amount of coal, natural gas, and petroleum fuels utilized for electricity generation in 2021:1
- 0.90 kWh/pound coal
- 0.14 kWh/cubic foot natural gas
- 12.86 kWh/gallon for petroleum liquids
- 1.25 kWh/pound petroleum coke
The figures above are based on preliminary data from the Electric Power Monthly for 2021, which was published in April 2022, as well as simple averages of national-level annual statistics for electric utilities and independent power providers. They are the annual average amounts for the majority of the electricity generated for sale in the United States, but they do not include power generated in the commercial and industrial sectors. Fuel use for useable thermal output in combined heat and power plants is not included in the fuel consumption data used for the above quantities.
Actual numbers for a particular generator or power plant may differ significantly from those listed above. The amount of fuel consumed to create electricity is determined by the generator’s efficiency (or heat rate) and the heat content of the fuel. The types of generators (primary movers), the type and heat content of fuels, power plant emission controls, and other factors all affect power plant efficiencies (heat rates).
The amount of fuel consumed to generate a kilowatthour (kWh) of electricity can be calculated using two formulas:
- Heat rate (in British thermal units per kWh) divided by Fuel heat content = Amount of fuel used per kWh (in Btu per physical unit)
- Fuel heat content (in Btu per physical unit) divided by Heat rate = Kilowatthour created per unit of fuel used (in Btu per kWh)
The following are some of the data sources available from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) for those calculations:
- The average quality of fossil fuel receipts for the electric power industry is shown in Table 7.3. ( xls )
- Table 8.1: Selected Energy Sources’ Average Operating Heat Rate ( xls )
- Average Tested Heat Rates by Prime Mover and Energy Source (Table 8.2) ( xls )
Appendices providing fuel heat contents, electricity heat rates, and conversion factors are included in the Monthly Energy Review.
On a national and state level, as well as at individual power plants, the EIA releases monthly and annual data on the quantity of electricity generated and associated fuel consumption by electricity producers. This information can also be used to compute fuel use per kWh of electricity generated, as well as kWh generation per unit of fuel consumption.
- Data on total power generation in the United States (Table(s) 7.2) and electricity generation fuel consumption (Table(s) 7.3).
- Historical power data files at the state level, including annual and monthly electricity generation and fuel usage.
- Data on fuel consumption and electricity generation at individual power plants in the United States, broken down by fuel/energy source.
1 In combined heat and power plants, fuel is not used for usable thermal output.
Other FAQs about Natural Gas
- A kilowatthour of electricity is generated using how much coal, natural gas, or petroleum?
- In the United States, how much shale gas is produced?
- What do you think the price of home heating fuel will be this winter?
- How much does it cost to produce electricity using various power plants?
- Does the EIA have data on natural gas and oil pipelines in the United States?
- In each condition, what sorts and amounts of energy are produced?
- What should I budget for heating this winter?
- How much of the carbon dioxide produced in the United States is due to power generation?
- Is the EIA able to provide data on energy use and prices for cities, counties, or zip codes?
- What are the main influences on natural gas prices?
- What are the differences between Ccf, Mcf, Btu, and therms? What is the best way to convert natural gas costs from dollars per Ccf or Mcf to dollars per Btu or therm?
- Which states use the most natural gas and produce the most?
- How big are the world’s natural gas reserves?
- In the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report, how does EIA determine the year-ago and five-year averages?
- What is the current state of natural gas in the United States, and how long will it last?
- Is data on shale gas and coalbed methane production and reserves published by the EIA?
- Does the EIA provide state-by-state estimates or projections for energy output, consumption, and prices?
- In the United States, how many alternative fuel and hybrid automobiles are there?
- What is the energy source for power generation in the United States?
- Why am I paying more for heating oil or propane than what is listed on the EIA website?
- What is the cost of natural gas for electric power generators in the United States?
- Does the EIA have data on energy production at the county level?
- In the United States, how much natural gas is consumed?
- Is the EIA aware of any unplanned disruptions or shutdowns of energy infrastructure in the United States?
What is the energy content of a cubic meter of gas?
Because of the industrial revolution, fuel gases have become more prevalent since 1900. Hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, and other combustibles make up the majority of fuel gases. Natural gas is one sort of fuel gas. Gases containing geological components are referred to as “natural gas.” Because natural gas is very pure, has a high heat content, and a high flame temperature, it is utilized for heating.
Natural gas is sold in cubic meters. British thermal units (Btu) per cubic foot are commonly used to measure the amount of heat produced when a unit volume of natural gas is burned. The amount of energy necessary to elevate one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit is defined as a British thermal unit. The number and types of gases in a cubic foot of natural gas buildup vary. The value of Btu increases as the hydrogen gas contains more carbon atoms.
Natural gas can be converted from Btu per cubic foot to Joules per cubic meter to determine its energy content. If 1 Btu = 1055.1 J and 1 ft3 = 0.028316 m3, 1000 Btu/ft3 multiplied by 1055.1 J and divided by 0.028316 m3 is 37 MJ/m3, which is natural gas’s average energy content.
How do you figure out how much energy natural gas has?
The heat value of natural gas is determined by how efficient the thermal energy emitted by the gas is. Natural gas’s heat content is unrelated to the color of the stove’s flame, nor to its color or price.
“A megajoule per cubic meter (MJ/m3) is a decimal multiple of a derived unit of specific energy, heating value, energy content, or heat of combustion per unit volume,” according to Wikipedia. In a nutshell, it illustrates how much energy (in megajoules) is released when 1 cubic meter of natural gas is burned.
Natural gas has a varying heat content in different countries. In Hungary, for example, the average heat value of natural gas is 34.12 MJ/M3.
Other heating parameters include:
- Gasoline/petroleum: 44-46 MJ/m3
- 42-46 MJ/m3 diesel fuel
- 42-47 MJ/m3 crude oil
- Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has a molecular weight of 46-51 MJ/m3.
- 42-46 MJ/m3 natural gas
- 23.9 MJ/m3 (according to the International Energy Agency).
- 16 MJ/m3 of dried firewood
Natural gas producers, on the other hand, must meet a number of quality standards and characteristics before exporting their product. A chromatograph is an instrument that measures the quality of natural gas and may determine the components of exported fossil fuels, thus its heating value will be known as well.
The price of natural gas is determined not by its amount, but by its quality and heating value, which define how much an individual (or a country) will pay for it.
The formula is straightforward:
Volume (m3) x heat value (MJ/m3) x price (Currency/MJ) x VAT Equals price of 1 m3 natural gas.
What is a kWh unit of gas?
The amount of gas consumed at a property is measured in units of gas. One kilowatt hour (kWh) of gas utilized equals one unit of gas. It’s vital to note that your gas meter doesn’t directly reflect how many units you’re consuming; instead, depending on the type of meter you have, it measures the amount of gas used by volume in Cubic Meters (m3) or Cubic Feet (ft3). Your energy provider converts this to Units (kWh’s) on your gas bill. You’ll be charged in pence per kWh (unit) of gas used after that.
Multiply this number by the price-per-kWh.
You may have a daily standing fee or a predetermined price for the first number of units utilized, followed by a lesser price for any additional units used after that.
How can I figure out how many kWh I have?
The price of power delivered by your electric provider is expressed in kilowatt-hours. Divide your total power bill, minus any taxes, by your total power consumption to get your kilowatt-hour rate.
Once you have that amount, you may use the formula below to figure out how much you pay for electricity.
Your power cost is $0.12 per kWh if your total monthly power bill is $327, your electricity taxes are $27, and your monthly power use is 2,500 kWh.
Is my gas meter in kWh or kilowatt-hours?
Gas bills show your usage in kilowatt hours, despite the fact that gas meters detect the volume of gas used in hundreds of cubic feet or cubic metres (kWh). The following is the industry standard formula for converting cubic measures to kWh.
- To figure out how many cubic meters or feet you’ve consumed, subtract your current gas meter reading from your previous reading.
- To convert from cubic feet to meters, multiply your measurement by 2.83.
- Multiply the result by 1.02264.
- Multiply the ‘calorific value’ by the number of calories (find this on your bill, or ask your gas supplier).
- Calculate your kWh by multiplying by 3.6.
- To calculate the cost of gas used, multiply the kWh value by your pence per kWh rate (found on your statement or inquire with your gas supplier).
How do I figure out the size of my natural gas meter?
Gas Meter Sizing Technicians will size a gas meter based on the entire capacity of the home’s gas appliances when a gas utility provider installs one at a property. The capacity of the gas meter will be indicated on the label in cubic feet per hour (cf/h). The most common meter sizes are 175 cf/h and 275 cf/h.