Frequently Asked Questions
What are Mcf, Btu, and therms? How do I convert prices in Mcf to Btus and therms?
M — is one thousand (1,000); MM equals one million (1,000,000).
Mcf — is the volume of 1,000 cubic feet (cf) of natural gas.
MMBtu — is 1,000,000 British thermal units (Btu). One Btu is the heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Therm — One therm equals 100,000 Btu, or 0.10 MMBtu.
In 2011, the average heat content of natural gas for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors was about 1,023 Btu per cf; one Mcf = 1.023 MMBtu or 10.23 therms.
You can convert prices from one basis to another as follows:
$ per Mcf divided by 1.023 = $ per MMBtu
$ per Mcf divided by 10.23 = $ per therm
$ per MMBtu multiplied by 1.023 = $ per Mcf
$ per therm multiplied by 10.23 = $ per Mcf
Learn more:
Natural Gas Conversion Calculator
Last updated: September 17, 2012
Other FAQs about Natural Gas
- Can I obtain a list of companies involved in the natural gas industry, such as utilities, pipeline companies, and storage operators?
- Does EIA have city or county-level energy consumption and price data?
- Does EIA have maps or information on the location of natural gas and oil pipelines?
- How can I choose my natural gas supplier in my state?
- How does EIA calculate the year-ago and five-year averages in the Natural Gas Weekly Storage Report?
- How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatt-hour of electricity?
- How much does it cost to produce crude oil and natural gas?
- How much natural gas does the United States have and how long will it last?
- How much natural gas is consumed (used) in the U.S.?
- What are Mcf, Btu, and therms? How do I convert prices in Mcf to Btus and therms?
- What are the major factors affecting natural gas prices?
- What is the average cost of natural gas used for electric power generation?
- What is the outlook for home heating fuel prices this winter?
- What is the total working gas capacity in underground natural gas storage?
- What is the volume of world natural gas reserves?
- What percentage of homes in the U.S. use natural gas?
- What types and amounts of energy are produced in each state?
- Where are the historical spot prices for natural gas?
- Where can I find international prices for natural gas?
- Where can I find shale gas and coal bed methane production and reserves data?
- Where is the boundary for state and federal offshore oil and gas production?
- Which states consume and produce the most natural gas?
- Why am I being charged more for propane than the price on EIA's website?