Apparatus configured to detect gas usage, method of providing same, and method of detecting gas usage

A method of detecting usage of a gas in a building, the building having a gas regulator with a pressure relief vent, the method comprising:

• using at least one acoustic sensor to receive one or more first acoustic signals from the pressure relief vent of the gas regulator;
• converting the one or more first acoustic signals from the pressure relief vent of the gas regulator into one or more first digital acoustic data signals;
• determining a total amount of the gas being used by all active gas appliances coupled to the gas regulator based upon the one or more first digital acoustic data signals;
• and
• determining a first amount of the gas being used by a first gas appliance based upon the one or more first digital acoustic data signals,
• wherein:
• the first gas appliance is not the gas regulator;
• and
• the active gas appliances comprise the first gas appliance.

A method of providing a gas sensing device, the method comprising:

• providing at least one acoustic sensor configured to detect two or more acoustic signals produced by a gas regulator and to convert the two or more acoustic signals into one or more first digital acoustic data signals;
• providing a transmitter configured to transmit the one or more first digital acoustic data signals;
• electrically coupling the transmitter to the at least one acoustic sensor;
• providing a sensor mount configured to mechanically couple to the gas regulator;
• mechanically coupling the at least one acoustic sensor and the transmitter to the sensor mount;
• and
• providing a processing module configured to run on a computational unit, the processing module comprising:
• an event detection module configured to use the one or more first digital acoustic data signals to determine a total gas usage by one or more gas appliances coupled to the gas regulator, and to determine an individual gas usage by each of the one or more gas appliances based upon the two or more acoustic signals produced by the gas regulator.