What is a Kilowatt Hour

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a way to measure the amount of electricity used in one hour.

Your electricity use is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Your bill shows the number of kilowatt-hours you used in the billing period. 

One kilowatt-hour is the same as using 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour. These three items all use one kilowatt-hour of electricity:

  • Operating a microwave oven for one hour 
  • Leaving 100 10-watt CFL/LED light bulbs on for one hour 
  • Leaving a single 60-watt bulb on for 17 hours