Kilowatt hours (kWh) and watt hours (Wh) are both units for measuring electrical energy use over time. You’ll often see them on your electricity bill or when shopping for appliances. This article quickly explains the relationship between kilowatt hour to watt hour, and how to convert between the two (hint: 1 kWh = 1000 Wh).
What are kilowatt-hours (kWh)?
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy. One kWh is equal to 1,000 watts of electricity used for one hour. Utility companies use kWh as the standard unit when calculating your electricity bill.
Put simply, kWh measures how much energy you use over time. It’s the total amount of energy a device or system consumes.
What are watt-hours (Wh)?
A watt-hour (Wh) is a unit of energy equal to one watt of power used for one hour. It’s a smaller unit of energy than a kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Watt-hours measure smaller amounts of energy use. You’ll often see watt-hours used to describe the amount of energy a battery can store or how much energy smaller electronic devices use.
How to convert kWh to Wh: The formula
The formula for converting from kilowatt hours to watt hours is pretty straightforward:
Wh = kWh × 1,000
This works because one kilowatt hour is the same as 1,000 watt hours. To convert from kWh to Wh, you just multiply by 1,000.
The inverse is also true: kWh = Wh / 1,000.
Examples of kWh to Wh conversions
The math on kilowatt hours to watt hours is pretty straightforward. Here are a couple of examples.
Simple conversion example
Let’s convert 5 kWh to Wh.
5 kWh × 1,000 = 5,000 Wh
By multiplying 5 kWh by the conversion factor of 1,000, we get 5,000 Wh.
Additional examples
- To convert 0.1 kWh to Wh, we multiply 0.1 kWh x 1000, which gives us 100 Wh.
- To convert 12 kWh to Wh, we multiply 12 kWh x 1000, which gives us 12000 Wh.
How are kilowatt hours and watt hours used?
You’ll find kWh and Wh in a variety of places. Utility companies measure your home’s electricity usage in kWh. Manufacturers use Wh to describe the energy capacity of batteries in laptops, phones, and other mobile devices.
Understanding these units is also essential for calculating energy costs and performing energy audits.
Final Thoughts
Remember, one kilowatt-hour (kWh) equals one thousand watt-hours (Wh). Understanding how these units relate to each other can help you better manage your energy consumption and save money.