kWh to BTU Converter
Type kWh to get BTU. One kilowatt-hour is about 3,412 BTU.
10 kWh =
34,121.4Btu
10 kilowatt-hours is 34,121.4 British thermal units.
- 1 kWh
- 3,412.14 Btu
- 1 Btu
- 0.0002931 kWh
How to convert kWh to BTU
Multiply kilowatt-hours by 3,412.14. That factor is 3,600,000 J (one kWh) divided by 1,055.05585262 J (one International Table Btu), rounded to six significant figures.
Three kilowatt-hours of electric heating gives off 3 × 3,412.14 = 10,236 Btu of heat. An electric resistance heater turns all the electricity it uses into heat, so its Btu output follows directly from its kWh use.
Heat pumps break that one-for-one link, because they move heat in from outside instead of making it. One running at a coefficient of performance of 2.5 delivers about 2.5 × 3,412.14 = 8,530 Btu of heat for every kWh on the meter.
British thermal units = kilowatt-hours × 3,412.14 (rounded)
- With 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ exactly and 1 Btu (IT) = 1,055.056 J, one kWh is 3,412.14 Btu. Source: NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8: conversion factors by unit.
How to estimate kWh to BTU in your head
Multiply by 3,400. A 1.5 kW space heater left on for an hour uses 1.5 kWh, and 1.5 × 3,400 = 5,100 Btu, against the exact 5,118. The shortcut is 0.4% low, which is far smaller than the error in any thermostat.
For bigger figures, keep the 3.4 and move the decimal point: 10 kWh is about 34,000 Btu (34,121) and 100 kWh about 341,000.
kWh to BTU table
Electricity use or heater power, in British thermal units.
| Kilowatt-hours (kWh) | British thermal units (Btu) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 341.214 | |
| 0.5 | 1,706.07 | |
| 1 | 3,412.14 | |
| 1.5 | 5,118.21 | a space heater for an hour |
| 2 | 6,824.28 | |
| 3 | 10,236.4 | |
| 5 | 17,060.7 | |
| 7.5 | 25,591.1 | |
| 10 | 34,121.4 | |
| 15 | 51,182.1 |
Show all 16 rowsShow fewer
| 20 | 68,242.8 | |
| 29.3 | 99,975.7 | about one US therm |
| 50 | 170,607 | |
| 100 | 341,214 | |
| 500 | 1,706,071 | |
| 1,000 | 3,412,142 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many BTU is 1 kWh?
1 kWh is 3,412.14 Btu, often rounded to 3,412 or 3,400.
What is 10 kWh in BTU?
10 kWh is 34,121 Btu, a little more than a third of a therm of gas.
How many BTU does a 1,500 watt heater put out?
About 5,118 Btu per hour. 1,500 W is 1.5 kW, and running it for an hour uses 1.5 kWh, which is 1.5 × 3,412.14 Btu of heat.
How many kWh of electricity equal a therm of gas?
About 29.3 kWh, since a therm is 100,000 Btu. Dividing a therm price by 29.3 gives the gas price per kWh of heat, before allowing for furnace efficiency.