How to Read a Natural Gas Meter: A Complete Guide

Your natural gas meter measures how much gas flows through your home or business. But unlike your electric bill that arrives monthly, you can read your own gas meter anytime to track consumption, verify your utility's readings, or detect a potential leak. Most residential meters display their reading in simple dials or digital numbers—yet many customers never know how to interpret what they see.

This guide explains how to read different meter types, understand the numbers displayed, calculate your actual usage, and use readings to detect problems.

Understanding Your Gas Meter Display

Natural gas meters come in two main types: mechanical dial meters and digital meters. Both measure gas volume in cubic feet. Your utility converts these cubic feet into therms for billing purposes (1 therm ≈ 100 cubic feet of natural gas).

Mechanical Dial Meters (Traditional)

Older homes typically have mechanical dial meters with 4-6 rotating dials, similar to an odometer in a car. Each dial tracks a digit in the meter reading. The challenge: alternating dials rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Key Rule: Read the dials from left to right. For any dial, record the number the pointer has just passed. If the pointer is between numbers, use the lower number.

Example Reading:

• Dial 1 (thousands): Pointer has passed 2, not yet reached 3 → 2
• Dial 2 (hundreds): Pointer at 8 (read just-passed rule) → 8
• Dial 3 (tens): Pointer at 9 → 9
• Dial 4 (ones): Pointer between 6 and 7, use lower → 6

Combined reading: 2,896 cubic feet

Note: Some mechanical meters show only the first 5 dials (reading in hundreds of cubic feet). Others include a sixth dial for smaller increments—this decimal dial is typically ignored for billing purposes and only used for confirming precise usage patterns.

Digital Meters (Modern)

Digital gas meters display a 5 or 6-digit number on an LCD screen, much simpler than dial meters. Many also show a small red LED that blinks with each unit of gas consumption (often 1 blink = 1 cubic foot or 10 cubic feet).

Reading a Digital Meter:

• Standard display: Record the 5-6 digit number exactly as shown
• Ignore any decimals or test modes
• Example reading: 12,845 cubic feet

Modern digital meters are increasingly common because they eliminate human error and allow remote reading by utilities. Some digital meters also display usage in real-time, showing how much gas is flowing at the moment you check.

Converting Cubic Feet to Therms (Your Billing Unit)

Your utility bill doesn't charge you per cubic foot—it charges per therm, the standard billing unit for natural gas. One therm equals approximately 100 cubic feet of natural gas under standard conditions.

Therms = Cubic Feet Reading ÷ 100

Example Calculation:

• Current meter reading: 12,845 cubic feet
• Previous meter reading: 12,655 cubic feet
• Cubic feet consumed: 12,845 - 12,655 = 190 cubic feet
• Therms consumed: 190 ÷ 100 = 1.9 therms

Note: Some utilities apply a meter factor (usually 0.95-1.05) that adjusts for temperature and pressure conditions. This factor appears on your bill and is typically already applied when the utility reports therms—you rarely need to manually apply it. However, knowing this exists helps explain small discrepancies between your hand calculations and the utility's reported usage.

Calculating Your Monthly Gas Usage

Step 1: Record Current and Previous Readings

Take meter readings on the same day each month (ideally near your bill date). Record both the dial/digital reading and the date.

• December 1 reading: 12,100 cubic feet
• January 1 reading: 12,290 cubic feet

Step 2: Calculate Cubic Feet Used

• Usage = 12,290 - 12,100 = 190 cubic feet

Step 3: Convert to Therms

• 190 cubic feet ÷ 100 = 1.9 therms

Step 4: Estimate Your Bill (Simplified)

If your rate is $0.80 per therm with a $12 base charge:

• Bill = (1.9 therms × $0.80) + $12 = $13.52 + $12 = $25.52

Reality check: December-January typically shows higher usage than other months due to heating demand. A similar reading in June-July would be much lower (0.5-0.8 therms for a gas-only home with no heat).

Typical Seasonal Gas Usage Patterns

Using Meter Readings to Detect Gas Leaks

Unusually high meter readings are your first warning sign of a potential leak. Gas leaks are dangerous and should be addressed immediately.

How to Detect a Leak Using Your Meter

Step 1: Turn off all gas appliances (stove, water heater, furnace, dryer). If you use a thermostat, set it to a level where heating won't kick in.

Step 2: Record your meter reading exactly.

Step 3: Wait 30 minutes without using any gas.

Step 4: Record the meter reading again.

Step 5: If the reading increased, you have a leak. Call your utility's emergency line immediately (usually 811 or your local gas company emergency number).

Example: If your meter showed 12,500 at 6 PM and 12,501 at 6:30 PM with no appliances running, that 1 cubic foot of loss indicates a leak requiring professional investigation.

Signs of a Gas Leak Beyond the Meter

• Rotten egg smell: Natural gas is odorless; utilities add mercaptan (rotten egg smell) for safety. Any smell near pipes = call 911
• Hissing sounds: Listen for audible gas escaping from pipes or connections
• Dead vegetation: Grass/plants dying over a gas line often indicates an underground leak
• Soap bubble test: Mix dish soap with water, brush on suspected connection areas. Bubbles forming = leak

Comparing Your Meter Readings to Your Bill

Utilities read your meter monthly and bill based on that reading. You can verify their accuracy by comparing your hand-calculated usage to the billed usage.

Real Example: Verifying Your Bill Accuracy

Your readings:

• December 15 reading: 8,400 cubic feet
• January 15 reading: 8,635 cubic feet
• Your calculated usage: (8,635 - 8,400) ÷ 100 = 2.35 therms

Your utility bill states: 2.4 therms used

Discrepancy: 0.05 therms (5 cubic feet) - This is normal and likely due to:

• Meter factor adjustment (your utility applies a factor you didn't)
• Rounding differences
• Reading timing (you read on the 15th, utility read on the 13th)

A 5-10% variance is acceptable. A 20%+ discrepancy warrants calling your utility for an investigation.

Meter Reading Tips and Best Practices

• Check meter accessibility: Ensure your meter area is clear of obstructions. Many utilities now read remotely, but being able to access it helps you verify readings.
• Record the time: Write down both date and time when reading. This helps if your billing period is unusual.
• Take photos: Photograph your meter monthly. This creates a visual record and helps spot tampering (extremely rare).
• Understand meter tampering is rare: Modern meters have safety seals. Any physical evidence of tampering appears obviously broken. Never attempt to modify a meter.
• Know your meter factor: It appears on your bill (usually 0.95-1.05). Your utility applies this automatically to convert your cubic feet reading to the therms you're billed for.
• Track seasonal patterns: Keep readings in a spreadsheet. You'll quickly notice if winter usage spikes unexpectedly (indicating a furnace problem) or summer usage stays high (indicating an appliance leak).

Next Steps

• Locate and read your meter: Find your meter location outside or in the basement. Practice reading it if mechanical dials confuse you.
• Create a tracking spreadsheet: Record readings and dates monthly. Comparison across months reveals patterns.
• Learn your rates: Check How to Calculate Your Electricity Rate for methods that apply to gas billing too.
• Review your bill: Compare your calculated therms to your utility bill's reported usage. Most vary by 0-10%.
• Understand your heating system: If winter usage seems high, explore Why Is My Energy Bill So High for efficiency improvement ideas.