How much natural gas does the average household use for heat only?

Answer 1

There are too many variables to consider a particular household to be "average". Fuel consumption will vary by home size, insulation, location, and usage habits. However, typical homes require 50 million to 150 million BTU per year for heat, so assuming 100 million BTU to be about average: Assume 0.82 million btu (net heating value*) per 1000 cubic feet of natural gas. 1000 cubic feet of gas / .82 net heating value ~=1,219.51 1,220 cubic feet of gas will be required to generate 1 million btu of heat, so you'll need about 1,220 ft^3 * 100 for the year, or 122,000 cubic feet of gas. At $7 per 1000 cubic feet, that's 122 * $7 = $854 for the year At $9 per 1000 cubic feet, that's 122 * $9 = $1.098 for the year. If you have a larger or smaller house, a warmer or colder climate, better or poorer insulation, etc, your results will of course vary. You'll require more heat in Minnesota than in Arizona, etc. * gross heating value is about 1.03 million btu per 1000 cubic feet, net assumes 80% efficiency. -Eric