Reference table
Energy units compared
Electricity tariffs use kilowatt hours, physics uses joules, heating technology uses kilocalories or BTU. This table shows the same amount of energy in every unit of the family.
| Kilowatt hour | Joule | Kilojoule | Watt hour | Kilocalorie | BTU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.001 | 3,600 J | 3.6 kJ | 1 Wh | 0.86042065 kcal | 3.41214163 BTU |
| 0.01 | 36,000 J | 36 kJ | 10 Wh | 8.6042065 kcal | 34.12141633 BTU |
| 0.1 | 360,000 J | 360 kJ | 100 Wh | 86.04206501 kcal | 341.21416331 BTU |
| 1 | 3,600,000 J | 3,600 kJ | 1,000 Wh | 860.4206501 kcal | 3,412.14163313 BTU |
| 10 | 36,000,000 J | 36,000 kJ | 10,000 Wh | 8,604.20650096 kcal | 34,121.41633128 BTU |
| 100 | 360,000,000 J | 360,000 kJ | 100,000 Wh | 86,042.06500956 kcal | 341,214.16331279 BTU |
| 1,000 | 3,600,000,000 J | 3,600,000 kJ | 1,000,000 Wh | 860,420.6500956 kcal | 3,412,141.63312794 BTU |
| 10,000 | 36,000,000,000 J | 36,000,000 kJ | 10,000,000 Wh | 8,604,206.50095602 kcal | 34,121,416.33127942 BTU |
Every column describes the same energy in a different unit. One kilowatt hour equals 3.6 megajoules or about 860 kilocalories. The kilocalorie is the unit used on food labels, not the calorie — 1 kcal = 1000 cal.