Two Friends We Can’t Live Without
We have a very personal relationship with KW and KWh and yet we don’t really know about them. We rely on them every moment of the day.Who are they? The Kilowatt (KW) and the Kilowatt Hour (KWH). You need them to charge your cell phone, use FaceBook or cook a meal. They are a big part of your everyday life.Understanding energy terminology will save you time and money when making decisions on your home energy needs and the appliances that you use daily.
Introducing KW and KWH
KWH is a measurement of energy
KW is measurement of power
If you are like me you probably thought Energy (a KW) and Power (KWH) were the same thing.
Yes, a lot of us use energy, power and electricity interchangeably but they are not actually the same thing.A Kilowatt is power. It’s how much you’re consuming at a specific moment in time.In contrast, the best way to think about a Kilowatt Hour (KWh) is that it’s a measure of energy, just like a calorie is a measure of energy. Let’s say you eat a burrito. That burrito has 600 calories but you could also say it has .007 kilowatt hours of energy it in. Energy that you will consume when you eat it.
Look at it this way
The best way to think about this is that a kilowatt is like the speedometer on your car. Your car’s speedometer goes up and down depending on how fast or slow you’re driving.
A kilowatt tells you how much energy (or energy demand) you’re using at an exact moment.
A Kilowatt Hour is like the odometer of your car tells you how far you’ve gone.
A kilowatt hour is how many you’ve consumed energy.
What does this practically look like in your home?Let’s say you have a 100 watt light bulb. This bulb will draw 100 watts of power anytime you use it. No more, no less. Just like if you are driving 60 mils an hour, you’re not moving faster or slower.If you have 10 light bulbs in a room, 10 X 100 = 1000 KW or 1 Kilowatt of demand.Again, KW is short for kilowatt and is a measure of electrical power. 1 kilowatt is = 1000 watt of power. (kilo = 1000)
The amount of energy consumed by your home, Kilowatt hours, depends on all of the appliances and/or devices that demand energy. Your electricity bill is based on the number of kilowatt hours you use each month.
What’s the point?
1. You may be able to get a lower rate for electricity and may not know it. There are programs available to homeowners that can help them save at least $1,879 each year by offering a lower rate.
2. You can find out which appliances are using more kilowatts to run and monitor how much you use them- which will save you money each month on your bill.
Are you interested in finding out how you can lower your electric rate and reduce your monthly electric bill? Interested in finding out how you can pay less for your electric bill? If yes, click https://venniece.com/contact-me/ be happy to schedule a quick call and review your electric bill with you.
Until Next Time,
Venniece