Case 1
- Energy to convert
- 1
- From unit
- Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
- To unit
- British thermal unit (BTU)
3,412.141633
Open with these valuesEnergy Converter
3,412.141633
Result: 3,412.141633Every unit here is a fixed multiple of the joule, so the value is turned into joules and back out again. One kilowatt-hour is exactly 3,600,000 J, which is 3,412.14 BTU or 860 kcal. The calorie used is the thermochemical one, 4.184 J — the same one a food label multiplies by 1000.
Most-used pairs
each is its own pageKilowatt-hours to BTU1 kWh = 3412.141633 BTUBTU to kilowatt-hours1 BTU = 0.000293 kWhKilocalories to kilojoules1 kcal = 4.184 kJKilojoules to kilocalories1 kJ = 0.239006 kcalKilowatt-hours to megajoules1 kWh = 3.6 MJWatt-hours to kilowatt-hours1 Wh = 0.001 kWh
All 9 units
| Unit | Symbol | In J | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joule | J | 1 | The SI unit of energy |
| Kilojoule | kJ | 1,000 | Food labels outside the US |
| Megajoule | MJ | 1,000,000 | Fuel content and heating output |
| Calorie (thermochemical) | cal | 4.184 | Warms one gram of water by 1 °C |
| Kilocalorie | kcal | 4,184 | The Calorie on a nutrition label |
| Watt-hour | Wh | 3,600 | Battery capacity |
| Kilowatt-hour | kWh | 3,600,000 | The unit on an electricity bill |
| British thermal unit | BTU | 1,055.05585262 | Heating and air conditioning ratings |
| Foot-pound | ft·lb | 1.355817948 | Mechanical work in US units |
Kilowatt-hour to British thermal unit
prints complete- 1 kWh
- 3,412.141633 BTU
- 2 kWh
- 6,824.283266 BTU
- 3 kWh
- 10,236.424899 BTU
- 4 kWh
- 13,648.566533 BTU
- 5 kWh
- 17,060.708166 BTU
- 6 kWh
- 20,472.849799 BTU
- 7 kWh
- 23,884.991432 BTU
- 8 kWh
- 27,297.133065 BTU
- 9 kWh
- 30,709.274698 BTU
- 10 kWh
- 34,121.416331 BTU
- 11 kWh
- 37,533.557964 BTU
- 12 kWh
- 40,945.699598 BTU
- 13 kWh
- 44,357.841231 BTU
- 14 kWh
- 47,769.982864 BTU
- 15 kWh
- 51,182.124497 BTU
- 16 kWh
- 54,594.26613 BTU
Other converters
- Acceleration Converter
- Angle Converter
- Area Converter
- Data Size Converter
- Data Transfer Rate Converter
- Force Converter
- Frequency Converter
- Fuel Economy Converter
- Kitchen Unit Converter
- Length Converter
- Power Converter
- Pressure Converter
- Speed Converter
- Temperature Converter
- Time Unit Converter
- Torque Converter
- Volume Converter
- Weight Converter
Worked examples
Case 2
- Energy to convert
- 1
- From unit
- Kilocalorie (kcal)
- To unit
- Kilojoule (kJ)
4.184000
Open with these valuesCase 3
- Energy to convert
- 500
- From unit
- Watt-hour (Wh)
- To unit
- Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
0.500000
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
result = value × (J per from-unit) ÷ (J per to-unit)
- StepEnter the energy value and pick the unit it is written in.
- StepThe value is multiplied by the joules that one of that unit holds.
- ResultThat joule figure is divided by the joules of the unit you want.
Reference table
| From | To | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cal | J | 4.184 |
| 1 ft·lb | J | 1.355818 |
| 1 Wh | J | 3600 |
| 1 kcal | J | 4184 |
| 1 BTU | J | 1055.055853 |
| 1 kWh | MJ | 3.6 |
| 1 kWh | BTU | 3412.141633 |
Questions
How do I convert kilowatt-hours to BTU?
Multiply the kWh figure by about 3412.14. One kWh is 3412.141633 BTU, which is why a heater rated in BTU is easy to compare against an electricity meter. To go back, divide the BTU figure by the same number.
How much energy is one kilowatt-hour?
It is the energy a 1000-watt appliance uses in one hour — exactly 3,600,000 joules, or 3.6 MJ. In other units that is about 3412 BTU or 860 kcal. The kWh is the unit on an electricity bill, so it is the most useful everyday anchor.
What is the difference between a calorie and a Calorie?
The small calorie (cal) is 4.184 joules, the energy that warms one gram of water by one degree Celsius. The Calorie on a nutrition label is really a kilocalorie: 1000 cal, or 4184 joules. A 250-Calorie snack therefore holds 250 kcal, about 1046 kJ.
Why does the converter pivot through joules?
The joule is the SI unit of energy — one watt for one second — and every other unit here is a fixed multiple of it. That makes each conversion one multiplication and one division: 1 kJ = 1000 J, 1 Wh = 3600 J, 1 BTU = 1055.06 J.
Sources and last check
Information, not professional advice.