kWh to BTU

A kilowatt-hour of electricity costs money on every bill in the world, but in America it is also measured against the furnace: one kWh is exactly 3,412.14163312794 BTU, which is how heating engineers compare the price of electric heat with the price of gas. Ten kWh is 34,121 BTU — about the hourly output of a large room heater. The factor is exact because both units are exactly defined.

1 kWh = 3,412.142 BTU, and 1 BTU = 2.9307107 × 10−4 kWh. One fixed factor covers the whole range: multiply kWh by 3,412.142. Worked: 10 kWh = 34,121.42 BTU; 100 kWh = 341,214.2 BTU.

By EnginStack Editorial Team | Reviewed against NIST, BIPM and primary-source documentation About →
kWh
34,121.41633128 BTU
10 kWh = 34,121.41633128 BTU 10 BTU = 0.00293071 kWh

Authority: NIST SP 811 (SI usage guide) and the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement. The coefficient above is a defined value — it does not come from measurement and carries no uncertainty.

kWh to BTU

The kWh is exactly 3,600,000 joules; the International Steam Table BTU is exactly 1055.05585262 joules; divide and one kWh is exactly 3,412.14163312794 BTU. This is the number behind every 'electric vs gas heating' comparison, every HVAC load calculation that crosses systems, and every energy-efficiency label that quotes both BTU and kWh. Because both anchors are definitions, the factor carries full precision and never needs rounding.

BTU = kWh × 3,412.14163312794
1 kWh = 3,412.14163312794 BTU — 3,600,000 J ÷ 1055.05585262 J/BTU
The factor is exact from both definitions.

Worked Examples

Example 1: Compare one unit of electricity with gas

1 × 3,412.14163312794 = 3,412 BTU

Example 2: Convert a day of electric space heating

10 × 3,412.14163312794 = 34,121 BTU

Example 3: Convert a month of average household use

1,000 × 3,412.14163312794 = 3,412,142 BTU

Common kWh to BTU Conversions

kWhBTUContext
1 kWh3,412 BTUThe definitional anchor.
10 kWh34,121 BTUA day of electric space heating.
30 kWh102,364 BTUA typical daily home electric use.
100 kWh341,214 BTUA week of heavy electric use.
1,000 kWh3,412,142 BTUA month of average US household use.

Engineering Context

The BTU to kWh page inverts this factor. In the energy hub, kWh to joules carries the SI base, and watts to horsepower connects to the mechanical side of the same energy family. Comparing electric and gas heat also touches the fuel economy pages.

This conversion exists to put electricity and gas on one axis, and it works only if the efficiency of each conversion device is carried alongside. One kWh of electricity delivered to a resistance heater yields one kWh of heat, or 3,412 BTU. The same kWh delivered to a heat pump yields three to four times that much heat, because the machine is moving energy rather than making it. Natural gas is billed in therms, and one therm is exactly 100,000 BTU, so a furnace rated 60,000 BTU per hour consumes 0.6 therm per hour at steady state. Compare cost per delivered BTU, never cost per unit of fuel.

More: BTU to kWh · kWh to J · W to hp · Energy & Power Guide · Energy Hub

Related Unit Converters

BTU to kWh kWh to Joules Watts to HP Energy & Power Conversion Guide Energy & Power Converters

Frequently Asked Questions

How many BTU are in one kWh?

Exactly 3,412.14163312794. One kWh is 3,600,000 joules; one BTU is 1055.05585262 joules (International Steam Table); the ratio is exact.

How do I compare electric and gas heating costs?

Convert both to the same unit. If electricity is $0.15/kWh and gas is $1.20/therm (100,000 BTU), then 1 kWh of electric heat costs $0.15 and delivers 3,412 BTU, while $0.15 of gas at that rate buys 12,500 BTU — gas wins on raw energy; efficiency changes the real answer.

Why does my energy bill list kWh instead of BTU?

Because the electric meter measures energy in kWh — a unit of the SI family that is convenient at the utility scale. BTU is used for HVAC equipment ratings. The two meet in efficiency calculations, which is exactly what this converter is for.