A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the basic unit of electricity consumption used by utilities for billing. If you run a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours, you use 1 kWh. The average US household consumes about 886 kWh per month. Electricity prices are quoted in cents per kWh, making it the universal measure for comparing costs across states and providers.
Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)
A unit of energy equal to using 1,000 watts for one hour, the standard billing unit for electricity.
Related Terms
Megawatt (MW)
A unit of power equal to one million watts, used to measure the capacity of power plants.
Electricity Rate
The price charged per kilowatt-hour of electricity, varying by customer class (residential, commercial, industrial).
Base Load
The minimum level of electricity demand over a 24-hour period, typically supplied by always-on power plants.