How do you calculate natural gas cost per batch?

Multiply the burner's average gas use rate (therms/hr) by the batch heat runtime (hr) to get therms consumed, then multiply by the gas price ($/therm). With 38 therms/hr over 6.5 hr at $1.18/therm you burn 247 therms for $291.46 per batch.

How many therms does one batch use?

Therms consumed equals use rate times runtime. In the worked example, 38 therms/hr for 6.5 hours equals 247 therms for the batch.

What is a therm and how does it relate to MMBtu?

One therm equals 100,000 Btu, and one MMBtu equals 1,000,000 Btu, so 10 therms equal 1 MMBtu. The 247 therms in the example is about 24.7 MMBtu of fired gas.

Why is my actual gas cost per batch higher than calculated?

Usually because the nameplate burn rate was used instead of a cycle average, combustion efficiency is below assumed, or standby and purge cycles add runtime. Meter a few real batches and back-calculate the effective use rate.

Does this include combustion or thermal efficiency?

No. It costs the gas delivered to the burner, not the heat actually transferred to product. To get useful heat, multiply consumed therms by your combustion or thermal efficiency separately.

How do I cut natural gas cost per batch?

Lower the use rate (better burner tuning, excess-air control), shorten runtime (faster ramp, better insulation, tighter soak control), or lock a lower gas price. Cutting runtime from 6.5 to 6.0 hr at the example rate saves about 19 therms, roughly $22 per batch.

Energy & Sustainability calculator

Natural Gas Cost per Batch Calculator

Natural gas cost per batch tells you exactly what the firing, drying, or process-heat portion of one production run costs in fuel. Process engineers and plant cost accountants in foundries, heat-treat shops, bakeries, breweries, and chemical batch operations use it to load energy into product costing instead of burying it in plant overhead. Because gas prices swing seasonally and burner runtimes vary by recipe, knowing the per-batch number lets you defend quotes, spot abnormal fuel draw, and prioritize recuperation or insulation projects. It is the difference between knowing your kiln 'uses a lot of gas' and knowing it burns 247 therms and $291 per cycle.

What this calculator does

Estimate natural gas cost per batch from burner fuel rate, batch runtime, and gas price.
a process engineer or finance lead needs natural gas cost for a batch, run, or recipe
It computes the natural gas consumed in one batch (use rate times runtime) and multiplies by gas price to give the fuel cost for that batch.

Formula used

Natural gas consumed = natural gas use rate × batch heat runtime
Natural gas cost per batch = natural gas consumed × natural gas price

Inputs explained

Natural gas use rate:
Batch heat runtime:
Natural gas price:

How to use the result

Use it when costing a heat-intensive batch process, comparing recipes or setpoints, or estimating fuel impact before a price change or schedule change.
It assumes a constant average burn rate across the runtime; ramp-up, soak, and idle periods can vary firing rate substantially, so use a true cycle-average use rate rather than the burner nameplate.

Current U.S. benchmarks

As of Apr 2026, industrial natural gas averages 4.9 per Mcf across the U.S. (EIA), roughly 0.47 per therm, down 7.7% from a year earlier.
Industrial electricity averages 8.66 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Apr 2026), up 5.5% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.

Common questions

How do you calculate natural gas cost per batch? Multiply the burner's average gas use rate (therms/hr) by the batch heat runtime (hr) to get therms consumed, then multiply by the gas price ($/therm). With 38 therms/hr over 6.5 hr at $1.18/therm you burn 247 therms for $291.46 per batch.
How many therms does one batch use? Therms consumed equals use rate times runtime. In the worked example, 38 therms/hr for 6.5 hours equals 247 therms for the batch.
What is a therm and how does it relate to MMBtu? One therm equals 100,000 Btu, and one MMBtu equals 1,000,000 Btu, so 10 therms equal 1 MMBtu. The 247 therms in the example is about 24.7 MMBtu of fired gas.
Why is my actual gas cost per batch higher than calculated? Usually because the nameplate burn rate was used instead of a cycle average, combustion efficiency is below assumed, or standby and purge cycles add runtime. Meter a few real batches and back-calculate the effective use rate.
Does this include combustion or thermal efficiency? No. It costs the gas delivered to the burner, not the heat actually transferred to product. To get useful heat, multiply consumed therms by your combustion or thermal efficiency separately.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.