The natural gas that we use to heat our homes and our water comes from deep under the earth.

The gas is found in layers of rock with tiny holes - the rock holds the gas like a sponge. To bring it to the surface, gas companies drill down hundreds of feet and pump into pipes.

But how did the natural gas get there?

You already know that dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago.

When the dinosaurs and the plants they ate died, the remains were buried under many layers of rock and soil.

Over time, the tremendous heat and pressure created by the layers of earth turned the animal and plant matter into natural gas and petroleum (oil).

That's why natural gas is called a "fossil fuel.”

Just like electricity, natural gas has to travel a long way to get to your home. The gas that heats your home or cooks your food might have come from thousands of miles away.

Here's how natural gas gets to your house:

  1. Natural gas companies drill thousands of feet into the earth and use big wells and pumps to bring it to the surface.
  2. Then they send the gas to your town through gas mains buried underground. Utility companies bring it to your house in smaller pipes.
  3. Those pipes connect to the meter outside your house, which measures how much natural gas your family uses.
  4. More pipes connect the meter to the gas appliances you use at home, like the furnace, water heater, clothes dryer or stove.
Icons demonstrating steps 1-4.