therm (US) (therm)
1 therm (US) = 105,480,400 joules
What is therm (US)?
A US therm is a unit of energy equal to 100,000 BTU. It is used by gas utility companies in the United States as the standard billing unit for natural gas consumption.
Notes: Natural gas billing
Real-world uses
The therm is used in the United States and United Kingdom for natural gas billing. One therm equals 100,000 BTU (approximately 29.3 kWh). Residential gas bills in the US often list consumption in therms. It is also used in industrial gas metering and procurement contracts.
History
The therm was introduced as a practical unit for natural gas billing in the early 20th century, when gas supply companies needed a convenient large-scale energy unit for residential and commercial customers. It consolidated prior inconsistent measurement practices in the gas industry.
Common mistakes
Confusing the therm with the BTU—1 therm = 100,000 BTU. Also, the US therm and the UK therm differ slightly (the UK therm is based on 105.5 MJ, while the US therm is exactly 100,000 BTU ≈ 105.48 MJ). Not to be confused with the thermie (a metric unit of heat).
When is this conversion used?
Converting between therm (US) and joule is common when working across metric and imperial systems, such as international trade, travel between countries with different measurement standards, or following instructions from a different region. Electricity bills use kilowatt-hours while physics calculations use joules. Converting between them is essential for energy audits, comparing appliance efficiency, and understanding power consumption.
How to convert therm (US) to joule
To convert therm (US) to joule, multiply the value by 105,480,400.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 105480400.0
Measurement standards
The joule is the SI derived unit of energy, defined as one kilogram-metre-squared per second-squared (kg·m²/s²). The kilowatt-hour, equal to exactly 3.6 megajoules, is accepted for use with the SI by the BIPM for practical electricity metering.
Did you know?
A single bolt of lightning releases roughly 1 to 5 gigajoules of energy, yet only a small fraction reaches the ground as electrical current. Most of the energy dissipates as light, heat, and the thunder shockwave.
| therms (US) | joules |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 10,548,040 |
| 0.5 | 52,740,200 |
| 1 | 105,480,400 |
| 2 | 210,960,800 |
| 5 | 527,402,000 |
| 10 | 1.054804e+09 |
| 25 | 2.637010e+09 |
| 50 | 5.274020e+09 |
| 100 | 1.054804e+10 |
| 250 | 2.637010e+10 |
| 500 | 5.274020e+10 |
| 1,000 | 1.054804e+11 |
Common values
| therms (US) | joules | |
|---|---|---|
| A food calorie (1 kcal) | 0.00003967 therms (US) | 4,184 joules |
| A AA battery | 0.00008874 therms (US) | 9,360 joules |
| Boiling a kettle | 0.00398178 therms (US) | 420,000 joules |
| Daily human diet (2000 kcal) | 0.07933227 therms (US) | 8,368,000 joules |
| 1 gallon of gasoline | 1.24914202 therms (US) | 131,760,000 joules |
Full therm (US) conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| joule | 1 therm = 105,480,400 J | × 105,480,400 |
| kilojoule | 1 therm = 105,480.4 kJ | × 105,480.4 |
| kilowatt hour | 1 therm = 29.30011111 kWh | × 29.30011111 |
| calorie (thermochemical) | 1 therm = 25,210,420.6500956 cal | × 25,210,420.6500956 |
| kilocalorie (dietary) | 1 therm = 25,210.4206501 kcal | × 25,210.4206501 |
| watt hour | 1 therm = 29,300.11111111 Wh | × 29,300.11111111 |
| megajoule | 1 therm = 105.4804 MJ | × 105.4804 |
| electronvolt | 1 therm = 6.583569e+26 eV | × 6.583569e+26 |
| British thermal unit | 1 therm = 99,976.1289775 BTU | × 99,976.1289775 |