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Kilowatt (or kW) is 1,000 watts, which is a just a measure of power. That’s as much as you really need to know about kW. A kilowatt hour (or kWh) on the other hand, is a unit of measurement that equals the amount of energy you would use if you kept a 1,000-watt appliance running for an hour.
As an example, a dishwasher has a wattage rating of between 1.2kW and 2.4kW (generally stated in watts when written on the back of the machine, like 1,200-2,400W). So, if you use your dishwasher for one hour, it will consume between 1.2 to 2.4kWh. Multiply this by the cents per kWh in your bill, and you can solve the cost of running the dishwasher for this hour. If your general usage rate is 25¢, it would cost between 30 and 60 cents per hour to run the dishwasher.
It’s important to understand what electricity tariff you are on as the general usage rate can vary significantly if you are on a time of use tariff, from less than 20 cents/kWh to more than 40 cents/kWh. So, it’s good to think before your switch that dishwasher on.
While it’s hard to be precise because the similar appliances can have very different wattages, here are some rough examples of what 1 kWh can power and roughly how much it might cost:
*The average price of electricity paid by individual customers varies depending on their location, retail contract, usage and tariff structure. Electric appliance running costs are calculated using a rate of25c/kWh. To compare the various retail plans available within the market, head over to Huglo Comparison Service.
(Source: Ausgrid)
While the costs above may seem like it is a small cost per day, when you tally up all the appliances in your home, it can really add up! It is important to be conscious of these values for your next big appliance spend. You might be saving a bit of money up front buying a cheaper dishwasher, but if it has terrible efficiency you might end up paying over and above your initial savings.
