BTU to Kilowatt-Hours
One BTU equals 0.000293 kilowatt-hours.
Kilowatt-Hours = BTU ÷ 3412.1416331279
Energy Converter
Common Conversions
Energy Examples
Household Energy
- • Average home daily use: ~30 kWh
- • LED bulb (10W, 1 hour): 36 kJ
- • Microwave (1000W, 2 min): 120 kJ
- • Electric car (100 miles): ~30 kWh
Food Energy
- • Apple: ~350 kJ (80 kcal)
- • Slice of bread: ~315 kJ (75 kcal)
- • Can of soda: ~590 kJ (140 kcal)
- • Daily intake: ~8400 kJ (2000 kcal)
Energy Unit Reference
Scientific Units
- • Joule (J): SI base unit of energy
- • Calorie (cal): Energy to heat 1g water by 1°C
- • Electron Volt (eV): Atomic scale energy
- • Erg: CGS unit (very small)
Practical Units
- • kWh: Electrical energy billing
- • BTU: Heating/cooling systems
- • Therm: Natural gas billing
- • kcal: Food energy (Calories)
BTU to Kilowatt-Hours Conversion Table
| BTU | kWh |
|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.2931 |
| 2000 | 0.5861 |
| 3412 | 1 |
| 5000 | 1.4654 |
| 8000 | 2.3446 |
| 10000 | 2.9307 |
| 12000 | 3.5169 |
| 15000 | 4.3961 |
| 18000 | 5.2753 |
| 24000 | 7.0337 |
| 30000 | 8.7921 |
| 36000 | 10.5506 |
| 48000 | 14.0674 |
| 60000 | 17.5843 |
| 100000 | 29.3071 |
About This Conversion
BTU to kilowatt-hours divides by 3,412.14. The British thermal unit is the heating and cooling industry standard in the US, while electricity and most of the rest of the world work in kilowatt-hours, so the conversion is the one that lets two appliances be compared.
Air-conditioner ratings are the usual case, with a catch: a "12,000 BTU" unit means 12,000 BTU per hour, a rate, not an amount. That rate is 3.517 kW of cooling, and how much electricity it draws depends on its efficiency rating, not on the BTU figure alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many BTU is 1 kWh?
One kilowatt-hour is about 3,412.14 BTU.
How many kW is a 12,000 BTU air conditioner?
12,000 BTU per hour is about 3.517 kW of cooling capacity.
Is BTU a rate or an amount?
BTU is an amount of energy. Appliance ratings usually mean BTU per hour, which is a rate.
What is a ton of cooling in BTU?
One ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU per hour, about 3.517 kW.
Worth Knowing
Calorie vs Kilocalorie
One food Calorie is one kilocalorie, equal to 1,000 small calories or 4,184 joules.