How to convert British thermal units to kilowatt-hours
Formula: kWh = BTU × 0.000293071
Worked example: 10,000 BTU → 10,000 × 0.000293071 = 2.93071 kWh
One kilowatt-hour equals 3,412.14 BTU. This lets you compare electric and gas heating: a gas furnace delivering 30,000 BTU per hour supplies about 8.8 kW of heat.
British thermal units to kilowatt-hours conversion chart
| British thermal units (BTU) | Kilowatt-hours (kWh) |
|---|---|
| 1 BTU | 0.000293071 kWh |
| 2 BTU | 0.000586142 kWh |
| 3 BTU | 0.000879213 kWh |
| 4 BTU | 0.00117228 kWh |
| 5 BTU | 0.00146536 kWh |
| 6 BTU | 0.00175843 kWh |
| 7 BTU | 0.0020515 kWh |
| 8 BTU | 0.00234457 kWh |
| 9 BTU | 0.00263764 kWh |
| 10 BTU | 0.00293071 kWh |
| 12 BTU | 0.00351685 kWh |
| 15 BTU | 0.00439607 kWh |
| 20 BTU | 0.00586142 kWh |
| 25 BTU | 0.00732678 kWh |
| 30 BTU | 0.00879213 kWh |
| 40 BTU | 0.0117228 kWh |
| 50 BTU | 0.0146536 kWh |
| 75 BTU | 0.0219803 kWh |
| 100 BTU | 0.0293071 kWh |
| 250 BTU | 0.0732678 kWh |
| 500 BTU | 0.146536 kWh |
| 1,000 BTU | 0.293071 kWh |
What is a British thermal unit?
The British thermal unit, about 1,055 joules, is the heat needed to warm one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. US furnaces, water heaters, grills and natural gas are rated in BTU.
What is a kilowatt-hour?
The kilowatt-hour equals 1,000 watt-hours, or 3.6 megajoules. It is the unit on every electricity bill and for electric car batteries: a 2,000 W heater running for 3 hours uses 6 kWh.