BTU to Kilowatt Hour Converter

A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is a unit of energy equal to approximately 1,055 joules. It represents the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit at standard atmospheric pressure.

The BTU was developed in the 19th century as part of the British Imperial system for measuring heat energy. It became standard in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications in countries using imperial units, particularly for rating heating and cooling equipment capacity.

BTUs are extensively used in the United States for HVAC system ratings, heating and cooling equipment specifications, and energy content of fuels. They're standard for furnace output ratings, air conditioner capacity, water heater specifications, and natural gas energy content measurements.

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy equal to the energy consumed by a device with a power rating of one kilowatt operating for one hour. It equals 3.6 megajoules and is the standard unit for measuring electrical energy consumption.

The kilowatt-hour was developed with the commercialization of electricity in the late 19th century. It provided a practical way for electric utilities to measure and bill for electrical energy consumption, becoming the standard unit for electrical energy trading worldwide.

Kilowatt-hours are universally used for measuring and billing electrical energy consumption in homes, businesses, and industries. They're found on every electricity bill, used in energy efficiency ratings for appliances, and are standard in renewable energy system specifications and grid energy trading.