What is a kilowatt-hour?
It is a measure of energy consumed. 1000 watts is a kilowatt. If you use a 100-watt lightbulb for 10 hours you have consumed one kilowatt-hour. Most of your energy bill will be for appliances that heat or cool. For an average residential consumer using 1100 kilowatt-hours per month: • A 2-watt clock used for 720 hours per month will cost about 12¢. • A 200-watt television used for 180 hours per month will cost about $2.93. • A 5000-watt clothes dryer used for 15 hours per month will cost about $6.11. • A 615-watt frostless refrigerator running 325 hours per month will cost about $16.27. • A 4500-watt water heater used 111 hours per month will cost about $40.66. If your home has a heat pump the square footage, thermostat setting, insulation, and other factors will affect the monthly cost. Remember this: A heat pump is most efficient in milder climates and less efficient when the outside temperature falls below 35 degrees. Set your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and leave it ther
Kilowatt-hours are a measure of electricity usage. One kilowatt-hour equals 1,000 watt hours. Using a 60 watt light bulb for one hour consumes 60 watt-hours of electricity. Using a 60 watt light bulb for one thousand hours consumes 60 kilowatt-hours of electricity. The customer’s electricity meter measures electricity usage.
