Gas Meter Reading and kWh Conversion Calculator

Who this is for

Turn gas meter units into kWh and cost. Enter the calorific value, correction factor and unit rate printed on your own bill, and each reading is converted from meter units to cubic metres, kWh and cost, with a daily average.

Anyone with a metric or imperial gas meter who wants to check a bill, and households watching their heating use through the winter.

What this helps you track

• Meter units used between readings, for metric or imperial meters
• The cubic metres, kWh and cost of each period, from your bill's figures
• The days each reading covers and the kWh per day
• Total kWh, total cost and the average use per day

How to use it

1. Copy the supplier and MPRN from your bill, then find the conversion section that shows how units became kWh.
2. Enter the units-to-cubic-metres factor from the bill: 1 for a metric meter, or the figure your bill uses for an imperial one.
3. Enter the calorific value, the volume correction factor and your unit rate per kWh exactly as the bill shows them.
4. Write the first reading date in the header, then add each reading with its date on a new line.
5. Units, cubic metres, kWh, cost, days and kWh per day are worked out in the browser and the workbook.
6. Update the calorific value when a new bill shows a different one, starting a fresh sheet if it changes often.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How do I know if my meter is metric or imperial?

A metric meter usually shows M3 or cubic metres on its face; an imperial meter shows cubic feet, often in hundreds. Your bill will also say how it converted the units, and that is the factor to enter.

Where does the 3.6 in the kWh column come from?

It is not a rate: one kWh is defined as 3.6 megajoules, and the calorific value is given in megajoules per cubic metre. Bills use the same step when they show how units became kWh.

The calorific value changes on every bill. Which do I use?

Use the figure on the bill covering the period you are checking. Small changes make a small difference, so for a rough running total the latest figure is fine; for a dispute, match each bill period.

Is the standing charge included?

No. This sheet costs the gas used. Add the daily standing charge from your bill separately, or use the standing charge projection calculator to see both together.