About the kWh to BTU Converter
Electricity meters count kilowatt-hours, while heating, cooling and fuel figures in the United States are usually in BTU. This converter turns kWh into BTU so the two can be compared directly. Type the kilowatt-hours and the BTU appear immediately, using the International Table BTU of 1,055.05585262 joules and the exact kilowatt-hour of 3,600,000 joules. One kWh comes out at about 3,412.14 BTU. Below the answer you also get watt-hours, kilojoules, joules, calories and other energy units for the same amount. It is useful for sizing a heater, checking what an electric heater adds to a room, or turning a power bill into the heat units a furnace label uses. Everything runs in your browser.
Updated October 2026
How to use the kWh to BTU Converter
- 1Type the energy in kilowatt-hours.
- 2Read the BTU at the top of the result.
- 3Check the rows below for other units of the same energy.
- 4Press Copy to copy the full sentence.
- 5Change the number to try another amount.
The formula
BTU = kWh × 3,412.14163313. The factor is 3,600,000 joules in a kWh divided by 1,055.05585262 joules in a BTU.
To go back, divide BTU by 3,412.14 or use the BTU to kWh converter.
Worked examples
- 1 kWh is 3,412.14 BTU.
- 10 kWh is 34,121.4 BTU, roughly what a 3 kW heater makes in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
- A 24 kWh day of home electricity use is about 81,891 BTU.
- 0.5 kWh is 1,706.07 BTU.
Using the result
To compare fuels, convert each to the same unit. Gas is sold by the therm (100,000 BTU), oil by the gallon (about 138,500 BTU), and electricity by the kWh. A heater that is rated 10,000 BTU/h running for one hour uses about 2.93 kWh of heat, which an electric resistance heater would get from 2.93 kWh of electricity.
Watch the difference between energy and power. Rates such as BTU/h and kW describe how fast energy is used, while BTU and kWh describe how much.
Tips for heating and cooling
When you compare an electric heater with a gas or oil system, convert both to the same energy unit first. Electric resistance heating turns nearly every kWh into heat, so the BTU from this page is the heat delivered. A gas furnace, by contrast, loses part of its fuel energy up the flue, so its rated efficiency matters: a furnace rated at 95 percent AFUE delivers 95 BTU for every 100 BTU of gas burned.
For cooling, remember that air conditioners are rated in BTU per hour of heat removed, and that they move more heat than the electricity they use. A 12,000 BTU/h unit with an energy efficiency ratio of 12 draws about 1 kW, which is 3,412 BTU of electricity per hour while moving 12,000 BTU of heat.
Phone and computer
Type in the box and the answer shows next to it on a computer or below it on a phone. Energy bills use kWh, and heating labels often use BTU. Convert back with the BTU to kWh Converter, use the BTU/h to Watts Converter for power ratings, and see what the energy costs with the Electricity Cost Calculator.
Features
- International Table BTU (1,055.05585262 J)
- Exact kWh (3,600,000 J)
- Nine energy units shown together
- Ten significant digits
- Copy button
- No upload, works in your browser
Frequently asked questions
How many BTU are in one kWh?
One kilowatt-hour is about 3,412.14 BTU.
How do I convert kWh to BTU by hand?
Multiply by 3,412.14. For example 5 kWh is about 17,060.7 BTU.
Does an electric heater really make 3,412 BTU per kWh?
Yes. An electric resistance heater turns almost all the electricity into heat, so 1 kWh gives about 3,412 BTU, and a 1,500 W heater makes about 5,118 BTU every hour.
Why do heat pumps give more?
A heat pump moves heat instead of making it, so one kWh of electricity can deliver 3 or 4 times as many BTU. Compare its coefficient of performance.
Is a BTU the same as a therm?
No. A therm is 100,000 BTU. One therm is about 29.3 kWh.
Which BTU is used?
The International Table BTU. Other definitions differ by less than 0.1 percent.
Does the tool upload my number?
No. It runs entirely in your browser.