How do kilowatt hours work?
The kilowatt-hour is a unit of energy. It is abbreviated kWh, and represents power (kW) consumed over time (hours). Electric rates will vary by region, and can run between 2¢ and 15¢ per kWh or even higher. For discussion purposes, I will assume a rate of 10¢ per kWh. This can also be displayed as $0.10 / kWh Your 700 watt toaster oven is 0.7 kW. If it runs for one hour, then you have consumed 0.7 kW x 1 hour = 0.7 kWh. If the toaster oven runs for 15 minutes, that is .25 hours. 0.7 kW x .25 hour = 0.175 kWh. You receive a bill once a month, so the electric meter keeps track of the kWh usage over the month. In my house the TV seems to be on at least 10 hours every day. Assuming the TV uses 200 watts, the monthly usage would be: 0.2 kW x 10 hours/day x 30 days = 60 kWh At a rate of $0.10 per kWh, this amounts to $6.00 per month. A typical apartment might use around 200 to 400 kWh per month.
