Energy & Sustainability worked example

Natural Gas Cost per Batch with natural gas use rate of 19 therms / hr: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop natural gas use rate to 19 therms / hr, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate natural gas cost per batch from burner fuel rate, batch runtime, and gas price.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Natural gas use rate: 19 therms / hr (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 38)
  • Batch heat runtime: 6.5 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Natural gas price: 1.18 $ / therm (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Natural gas consumed = natural gas use rate × batch heat runtime.
  • Natural gas cost per batch works out to 146 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Natural gas consumed works out to 124 therms at these inputs.
  • Batch heat runtime works out to 6.5 hr at these inputs.
  • Natural gas price works out to 1.18 $ / therm at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where natural gas use rate sits at 38 therms / hr and the headline result is 291 $, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 146 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to natural gas use rate, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. 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.

Results at a glance

  • Natural gas cost per batch: 146 $ (headline result)
  • Natural gas consumed: 124 therms
  • Batch heat runtime: 6.5 hr
  • Natural gas price: 1.18 $ / therm

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Natural Gas Cost per Batch calculator, set natural gas use rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.