How To Calculate kWh Usage for Your Home
Can you imagine life without electricity?
From keeping our homes warm (or cool) to cooking and keeping our food fresh to watching TV…
Modern life runs on kilowatts.
Do you know how much electricity your home consumes daily? If you’re on the grid, you’ll undoubtedly know how much it costs you every month… But have you ever calculated your electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh)?
Knowing your total energy consumption is essential if you’re considering switching to solar power or another form of renewable energy to meet some or all of your electricity needs. In fact, it’s the first step in determining what kind of system you need.
Read on to learn how to calculate the electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) of your appliances and your home.
Understanding kW and kWh
Having a basic understanding of watts (W), watt-hours (Wh), kilowatts (kW), and kilowatt-hours (kWh) is essential for assessing electricity generation and consumption requirements.
Most household appliances measure the electricity required to start and run in watts (wattage). For example, the average household refrigerator uses 700W but may need 2000W to start up. Many large household appliances — especially anything with a motor — require 2-3 times as much electricity to turn on than to run. This additional wattage is referred to as surge power or starting wattage.
A kilowatt measures larger amounts of electricity consumption and production. One thousand watts is equal to one kilowatt.
Watts and kilowatts are units of power that indicate the rate of electricity consumed or produced at a specific moment in time.
Watt hours (Wh) and kilowatt-hours (kWh) are units of power that measure electricity consumed or generated over a period of time (1 hour).
Essentially, watts and kilowatts indicate the “rate” of electricity production or consumption. Watt-hour and kilowatt hours give you the “total” amount of electricity generated or consumed over time.