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Electricity Btu and kWh Converter
Starting values are hypothetical. Replace them with your own figures. Inputs stay in this browser and are not included in the energy inquiry.
- The two fields are independent conversions and are not added.
- Uses the rounded EIA factor 3,412 Btu/kWh. Power in kW is not an input.
Understand the scale of each unit
A kWh is an amount of energy. A kW is a rate of energy use. Equipment drawing 10 kW steadily for three hours uses 30 kWh; a peak reading of 10 kW does not itself tell you how much energy was consumed during a month. This page converts quantities of energy, so a demand reading in kW should not be entered as kWh.
Btu is a heat-energy unit. One kBtu is one thousand Btu, and one MMBtu is one million Btu. One MWh is one thousand kWh. The letter prefixes can create thousand-fold errors when copied into worksheets, so preserve the unit next to every number. kBtu and kWh may look similar in a report but describe different scales and units.
The conversion formulas
Multiply kWh by 3,412 to express the same energy in Btu. Multiply kWh by 3.412 for kBtu, or divide kWh by 1,000 for MWh. To move from Btu to kWh, divide Btu by 3,412. The tool uses that same rounded factor in both directions so the displayed examples remain consistent.
For example, 1,000 kWh corresponds to 3,412,000 Btu, 3,412 kBtu and 1 MWh under this convention. Entering 3,412,000 Btu in the separate reverse-conversion field returns 1,000 kWh. These examples establish unit relationships; they say nothing about the price paid for electricity or the amount of useful heat delivered by a particular appliance.
Why equal energy does not mean equal equipment output
A unit conversion preserves an energy quantity. Comparing heating systems also requires the actual efficiency or coefficient of performance, operating conditions, distribution losses and control strategy. Electrical energy converted to Btu is not automatically the useful heat output of a heat pump, boiler or resistance heater under real operating conditions.
Similarly, this is not a source-energy calculation. Electricity generation and delivery have upstream effects that are separate from energy consumed at a site. Do not add a generation heat rate to this conversion or use the result as an emissions estimate. The emissions tool instead requires an explicit, documented electricity emissions factor for the intended accounting method.
Use consistent conversions in a building worksheet
To combine electricity with natural gas for an unadjusted site-energy metric, first convert each fuel to the same unit. Electricity kWh can become kBtu using this page; therms become kBtu using the therm definition. Then add energy quantities for the same property and year before dividing by area. Keep a note of the rounded factors used so the workbook can be reproduced.
Avoid rounding each monthly figure aggressively before summing an annual total. Retain calculation precision, display a useful number of digits and distinguish estimated from billed inputs. For actual bill reconciliation, follow the bill’s unit definitions and any supplier-specific conversion instructions. Use the gas converter for volume-based gas quantities; a generic electricity conversion cannot supply a gas heat-content factor.
Sources & scope
Primary references reviewed October 15, 2026. These sources support the stated concepts; actual tariffs, program rules and signed agreements govern the account. Decision examples and operational worksheets are original educational analysis.
- EIA: Energy units and calculators explained
Rounded energy conventions: 1 kWh = 3,412 Btu and 1 therm = 100,000 Btu. Natural gas heat content varies.