What do kwh measure

A kilowatt hour kWh is a way to measure the amount of electricity used in an hour. It would take approximately watts to run a microwave for 1 hour and that equals 1 kilowatt hour. In Ontario, your electricity bill is measured in kilowatt hours. Learn more about kilowatt hours and how they are used. Watts - Usually listed on the power cord. This is the rated power your appliance uses when turned on.

You can set a timer on a smart power bar so that it automatically turns off power to the devices overnight. Some smart power bars also cut power to all devices once you turn a specific device off. For example, you could program a smart power bar to cut power to your sound system and television as soon as you turn your gaming console off.

Once you know your usage per appliance, you can use this newfound knowledge to invest in energy-efficient home products.

Most appliances and electronic devices have energy-efficient options. Contact us anytime at 1. Expand Blog themes Energy Saving Tips. You usually pay for the energy you use by the kilowatt hour. Solar energy is measured in kilowatt hours - or with large solar energy systems, in megawatt hours kilowatt hours.

If your solar panels continuously output 1 kW of power for a period of 1 hour , they'll have produced 1 kWh of energy. A watt-hour Wh is a unit that measures the amount of electrical energy used over a period of time. Watts are named after the Scottish inventor James Watt, who also invented the steam engine. Solar energy, is measured in kilo-Watt-hours kWh or with large solar installations, mega-Watt-hours mWh.

A watt W measures the rate at which energy is produced or consumed. We usually pay for our electrical energy based on the amount of kilowatt hours kWh used - this is the equivalent to 1 kW of power expended over 1 hour of time. In a Flash A watt hour measures the amount of energy used over a period of time.

Burning Questions. What is a watt? Here's what we mean: A brighter light bulb a W bulb uses energy at a higher rate than a dimmer light bulb a 60 W bulb. Keep in mind, however, that a lower kW device is not always able to function the same as a higher kW one. It would have to run for longer periods of time in order to generate the same amount of energy, and as a result, the device could end up running during high-cost periods. Certain devices, however, such as LED light bulbs, can run at a lower wattage for the same amount of time as a higher wattage device like an incandescent bulb, because an LED light bulb does not let as much energy escape as heat and therefore requires less energy to have the same lighting capabilities.

Skip to content.