What is a kilowatt-hour (kWh)?

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a way to measure how much electricity you use.

1 kWh represents the amount of energy used when a 1,000-watt (1 kilowatt) appliance runs for one hour.

Breaking down a kWh

There are 2 parts to a kilowatt-hour: the kilowatt, and the hour. 

• Kilowatt (kW): A measure of electricity. 1 kilowatt = 1,000 watts. 
• Hour (h): is the measure of time (60 minutes).

kWh's in the real world

If you had a 1000 watt (1 kilowatt) lightbulb turned on for 1 hour, you would use 1 kWh of electricity. 

If you had a 100 watt (0.1 kilowatt) lightbulb and turned it on for 10 hours, you would also use 1 kWh of electricity.  

How to calculate the potential running cost of an appliance

Find your electricity rate

Check your bill to find the rate charged per kWh. Don't have a bill handy? Check here for rates.

Determine what your usage will be 

• Check the wattage of your appliance. You can usually find this on a label or in the user manual. 
• Turn your watts into kW. For example: 2000 watts = 2kW
• Determine how many hours per day/week/month/year you'll be running your appliance. 
• 5 hours per day x 2kW = 10kWh

Calculate the cost 

Multiply the number of kWh used by the rate charged per kWh

Electricity rate*: $0.30 per kWh (30 cents per kWh) *example rate only. 

Usage: 10kWh per day

0.30 x 10 = 3

Total cost per day: $3

Total cost per week: $21 (if you ran the appliance for 5 hours a day for 7 days)