Energy Content in common Energy Sources

Heating fuels and their energy content. Reference table showing energy content in commonly used energy sources measured in BTU (British Thermal Units).

Energy SourceUnitEnergy Content (Btu)
Electricity1 Kilowatt-hour3412
Butane1 Cubic Foot (cu.ft.)3200
Coal1 Ton28000000
Crude Oil1 Barrel - 42 gallons5800000
Fuel Oil no.11 Gallon137400
Fuel Oil no.21 Gallon139600
Fuel Oil no.31 Gallon141800
Fuel Oil no.41 Gallon145100
Fuel Oil no.51 Gallon148800
Fuel Oil no.61 Gallon152400
Diesel Fuel1 Gallon139000
Gasoline1 Gallon124000
Natural Gas1 Cubic Foot (cu.ft.)950 - 1150
Heating Oil1 Gallon139000
Kerosene1 Gallon135000
Pellets1 Ton16500000
Propane LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)1 Gallon91330
Propane gas 60 oF1 Cubic Foot (cu.ft.)2550
Residual Fuel Oil1 Barrel - 42 gallons6287000
Wood - air dried1 Cord20000000
Wood - air dried1 pound8000

About BTU (British Thermal Unit)

The BTU is the unit of heat in the imperial system, defined as:

  • The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water through 1 °F (58.5 °F - 59.5 °F) at sea level (30 inches of mercury).

Conversion Factors:

  • 1 Btu = 1055.06 J
  • 1 Btu = 107.6 kpm
  • 1 Btu = 2.931×10⁻⁴ kWh
  • 1 Btu = 0.252 kcal
  • 1 Btu = 778.16 ft lbf
  • 1 Btu = 252 cal
  • 1 Btu = 0.293 watt hours

Example: An item using one kilowatt-hour of electricity will generate 3412 Btu.

Unit Conversion References

  • 1 Gallon (U.S.) = 3.785×10⁻³ m³ = 3.785 dm³ (liter)
  • 1 ft³ = 0.02832 m³
  • 1 barrel (US, oil) = 1.33 barrel (US, liq) = 5.61458 cu foot = 42 gallons (US, liq) = 158.9873 liter
  • 1 lbm = 0.4536 kg
  • 1 ton (short) = 2000 lbs = 907 kg