kwh

IPA/kˌeɪdˌʌbəljˌuːˈeɪtʃ/
KK[kˈedˈʌbəljuˈetʃ]IPA/kˈeɪdˈʌbəljuːˈeɪtʃ/

kwh — noun

1. a unit used to measure electrical energy equal to 1,000 watt-hours — for example

1.nounB1
Definition

a unit used to measure electrical energy equal to 1,000 watt-hours — for example, the amount of electricity a 100-watt light bulb uses if it stays on for 10 hours, or the amount that appears on household electricity bills.

Example

Last month the Watanabe family used 350 kwh of electricity in their home.

number + kwh of + [energy type]

A typical solar panel on Élise's roof produces about 1.5 kwh per day.

produces + [number] + kwh

Common collocations
  • kwh per day/month/year
  • kwh of electricity/energy
  • per kwh
  • kwh reading
  • kwh meter
  • kwh usage/consumption

Grammar Patterns

[number] + kwh

[number] + kwh of + [energy source/use]

Usage Note

In Taiwan, 1 kilowatt-hour (1 kwh) is commonly referred to as 1 度 (dù) on household electricity bills, though the formal scientific name remains 千瓦時.

Common Mistakes

My computer uses 1 kwh to run for a year.
My computer uses about 1 kwh every 8 hours of normal use.
A kwh measures energy over time, not power at a single moment. A computer uses roughly 0.1 kw of power; running it for 10 hours uses 1 kwh.

Word family

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekEnglish

kwh is an abbreviation formed from the first letter of 'kilo' and the letters 'wh' for 'watt-hour'. The watt is named after Scottish engineer James Watt (1736–1819), who improved the steam engine. 'Kilo-' comes from Greek khilioi meaning 'one thousand', giving kilowatt-hour = 1,000 watt-hours.