The term 'utility-bill measure' refers to the unit of measurement used to calculate the cost of utilities such as electricity, gas, and water. The most common unit of measurement is the therm, which is a unit of energy equal to 100, 000 British Thermal Units (BTUs). A BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. The therm is used to measure the amount of energy consumed by a household or business, and is then used to calculate the cost of the utility bill.