Enter the energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and select the target unit to determine the converted value, or use the conversion factors below to manually convert kWh into watt-hours, joules, kilojoules, megajoules, BTU, or kilocalories.

Kilowatt-Hours to Units Converter

Enter a value in kWh and choose the unit to convert to

Kilowatt-Hours to Units Formula

The following formula is used to convert kilowatt-hours into another energy unit.

E_u = kWh × CF

Variables:

  • Eu is the energy in the selected target unit
  • kWh is the energy in kilowatt-hours
  • CF is the conversion factor for the chosen unit

To convert kilowatt-hours to another unit, multiply the energy value in kWh by the correct conversion factor. For example, use 1000 for watt-hours, 3,600,000 for joules, 3600 for kilojoules, 3.6 for megajoules, 3412.14 for BTU, and 860.42 for kilocalories.

Kilowatt-Hours to Units Conversion Table

The table below lists the most common conversion factors for a reference value of 1 kWh.

Target UnitConversion Factor (per 1 kWh)1 kWh in This Unit
Watt-hours (Wh)10001000 Wh
Joules (J)3,600,0003,600,000 J
Kilojoules (kJ)36003600 kJ
Megajoules (MJ)3.63.6 MJ
British Thermal Units (BTU)3412.143412.14 BTU
Kilocalories (kcal)860.42860.42 kcal

What is a Kilowatt-Hour?

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy commonly used on electricity bills. It represents using one kilowatt of power for one hour. Although energy may also be expressed in watt-hours, joules, kilojoules, megajoules, BTU, or kilocalories, all of these units describe the same physical quantity and can be converted using fixed multipliers.

This makes the kilowatt-hour especially useful in practical energy measurement, while joules and related units are often preferred in scientific, engineering, or heating and cooling applications.

How to Convert Kilowatt-Hours to Other Units?

The following steps outline how to convert kilowatt-hours into other energy units.


  1. First, determine the energy amount in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
  2. Next, choose the target energy unit such as Wh, J, kJ, MJ, BTU, or kcal.
  3. Then, find the correct conversion factor for that unit.
  4. Finally, multiply the kWh value by the conversion factor using the formula Eu = kWh × CF.
  5. After calculating the result, verify your answer with the converter above.

Example Problem:

Use the following example to test your knowledge.

Energy = 2.5 kWh

Target Unit = Megajoules (MJ)

Conversion Factor = 3.6

Converted Energy = 2.5 × 3.6 = 9.0 MJ

The same 2.5 kWh is also equal to 9,000,000 J because 2.5 × 3,600,000 = 9,000,000.