How to Determine Kilowatt Hours

The first step in figuring out how much an electrical item costs to run is to determine the kilowatt hours of the product and its usage. With the help of a calculator, the kilowatt hours can be discovered as long as the technical specifications of the electrical product are known.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator

Instructions

1. Find the amps and volts of the electrical item in question. These are usually listed in the owner's manual of the item or are printing on a label attached to the item.

2. Multiply the amps and the volts together to determine the watts output.

3. Divide the watts by 1,000 to determine the kilowatts.

4. Multiply the kilowatts by the length of time, in hours, that you plan to use the item at any given time to determine kilowatt hours.

5. Multiply the kilowatt hours and the amount your electric company charges per kilowatt hour to determine how much money the item is costing you per usage.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you find the kilowatt hours of the electrical item in question, note it somewhere that can be accessed for future use.

• Take care to avoid shock when working with electrical items.

References

• Engineering Toolbox

Resources

• EHS.OKState.edu: Electrical Safety