Glossary · Energy, bills & ratings
Cubic metre of natural gas (m³)
Also called: m3 · cubic metre · cubic metres · cubic meter · cubic meters · cubic metres of gas
The volume unit on Canadian gas meters; one cubic metre of natural gas holds about 38–39 megajoules, roughly 10.6–10.9 kWh, of energy.
What it means
Your meter measures gas volume, and the bill may show cubic metres, gigajoules or both, adjusted for the gas's heat content. One cubic metre is about 35.3 cubic feet. Annual gas use in m³, compared with heating degree days, shows how efficiently your house is heated.
Why it matters in an audit
Auditors use your m³ history to check the energy model and estimate savings from upgrades or from switching to a heat pump.
Typical numbers
Reference values with their sources. Your energy advisor’s report gives the figure for your own house.
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heat content (Statistics Canada) | 38.21–39.36 MJ per m³ in 2004–2021 conversion factors (39.36 in 2021), about 0.039 GJ | www150.statcan.gc.ca ↗ |
| Volume (NRCan) | 1 m³ = 35.31 cubic feet | natural-resources.canada.ca ↗ |