Kilowatts to Watts Converter
Convert between kilowatts and watts instantly. Click the swap button to change direction.
Conversion Result
1 kW = 1000 W
Quick Reference
0.1 kW
100 W
0.5 kW
500 W
1 kW
1,000 W
2 kW
2,000 W
5 kW
5,000 W
10 kW
10,000 W
50 kW
50,000 W
100 kW
100,000 W
Understanding Watts
The watt (W) is the SI unit of power, named after Scottish inventor James Watt. One watt equals one joule of energy per second.
Common examples: A typical LED bulb uses 10 watts, a laptop charger uses about 60 watts, and a microwave oven uses around 1000 watts.
Understanding Kilowatts
A kilowatt (kW) is simply 1000 watts. The "kilo" prefix means thousand.
Common examples: A hair dryer uses about 1.5 kW, an electric car charger uses 7-22 kW (Level 2), and a home solar system is typically 5-10 kW.
Common Power Ratings
LED Bulb
10 W
0.01 kW
Laptop
60 W
0.06 kW
Microwave
1,000 W
1 kW
Hair Dryer
1,500 W
1.5 kW
Space Heater
1,500 W
1.5 kW
Washing Machine
500 W
0.5 kW
EV Charger (L2)
7,000 W
7 kW
Central AC
3,500 W
3.5 kW
Kilowatts vs Kilowatt-Hours
Don't confuse kilowatts (kW) with kilowatt-hours (kWh)!
Kilowatts (kW) measure power - the rate at which energy is used at any moment.
Kilowatt-hours (kWh) measure energy - the total amount used over time.
For example: A 1 kW appliance running for 1 hour uses 1 kWh of energy. Your electricity bill is based on kWh consumed.