Megawatt Hours to Kilowatt Hours Converter (MWh to kWh)
Convert megawatt hours to kilowatt hours (MWh to kWh). See results in kWh, Wh, MMBtu, and gigajoules. Essential for US electricity bills, solar panels, and EV charging.
ENERGY IN KILOWATT HOURS
1,000 kWh
WATT HOURS
1,000,000 Wh
MMBtu
3.4121
GIGAJOULES
3.6000 GJ
FORMULA
1Γ1,000
MWh to kWh β Quick Reference
| MWh | kWh | GJ | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.001 MWh | 1 kWh | 0.004 GJ | LED bulb (1 hour) |
| 0.01 MWh | 10 kWh | 0.036 GJ | EV charge (short trip) |
| 0.05 MWh | 50 kWh | 0.180 GJ | EV full charge (50 kWh) |
| 0.1 MWh | 100 kWh | 0.360 GJ | US home (3 days) |
| 0.5 MWh | 500 kWh | 1.800 GJ | US home (2 weeks) |
| 1 MWh | 1,000 kWh | 3.600 GJ | Avg US home (1 month) |
| 5 MWh | 5,000 kWh | 18.000 GJ | Large home (1 month) |
| 10 MWh | 10,000 kWh | 36.000 GJ | Small commercial |
| 100 MWh | 100,000 kWh | 360.000 GJ | Large commercial |
| 1000 MWh | 1,000,000 kWh | 3600.000 GJ | Power plant (1 hour) |
How to Convert MWh to kWh
Multiply by 1,000 β the simplest energy conversion:
Example: 1 MWh
= 1 Γ 1,000 = 1,000 kWh
Example: 10.7 MWh (avg US home annual electricity)
= 10.7 Γ 1,000 = 10,700 kWh
Example: 0.05 MWh (Tesla Model 3 full charge)
= 0.05 Γ 1,000 = 50 kWh
Remember: "Mega" means million, "Kilo" means thousand. So 1 MWh = 1,000 kWh, just like 1 megabyte = 1,000 kilobytes.
Electricity Unit Hierarchy
| Unit | Symbol | = How Many Wh | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watt hour | Wh | 1 | Phone battery, LED bulb |
| Kilowatt hour | kWh | 1,000 | Home electric bills |
| Megawatt hour | MWh | 1,000,000 | Wholesale electricity, solar farms |
| Gigawatt hour | GWh | 1,000,000,000 | Power plant output, city usage |
| Terawatt hour | TWh | 1,000,000,000,000 | National electricity production |
US Electricity Prices by State (Average $/kWh)
| State | $/kWh | 1 MWh Cost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $0.33 | $330 | Most expensive |
| Connecticut | $0.25 | $250 | 2nd most |
| California | $0.23 | $230 | 3rd most |
| New York | $0.20 | $200 | High cost |
| US Average | $0.14 | $140 | National avg |
| Texas | $0.12 | $120 | Below average |
| Idaho | $0.09 | $90 | Low cost |
| Louisiana | $0.09 | $90 | Low cost |
US Appliance Electricity Usage
| Appliance | kWh/year | MWh/year | % of Avg Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central AC | 2,000β3,500 | 2.0β3.5 | 20β30% |
| Electric water heater | 2,000β3,000 | 2.0β3.0 | 15β25% |
| Refrigerator | 400β600 | 0.4β0.6 | 4β6% |
| Electric dryer | 600β900 | 0.6β0.9 | 5β8% |
| Lighting (whole home) | 500β1,000 | 0.5β1.0 | 5β10% |
| EV charging (12k mi/yr) | 3,000β4,000 | 3.0β4.0 | 25β35% (added load) |
| Total avg US home | 10,700 | 10.7 | 100% |
Solar Panel Output Context
| System Size | Annual Output | MWh/year | Homes Powered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW (small residential) | 6,000β8,000 kWh | 6β8 MWh | ~0.7 homes |
| 10 kW (large residential) | 12,000β16,000 kWh | 12β16 MWh | ~1.3 homes |
| 1 MW (commercial) | 1,200β1,600 MWh | 1,200β1,600 MWh | ~130 homes |
| 100 MW (utility scale) | 120,000β200,000 MWh | 120β200 GWh | ~15,000 homes |
What Is a Megawatt Hour (MWh)?
MWh (megawatt hour) = 1,000 kWh. It's the standard unit for wholesale electricity trading in the US. Power plants measure output in MWh, and regional grid operators (ERCOT, PJM, CAISO) price electricity in $/MWh. Solar and wind farms report generation in MWh.
What Is a Kilowatt Hour (kWh)?
kWh (kilowatt hour) is the energy unit on every US electric bill. Running a 1,000-watt appliance for 1 hour uses 1 kWh. The average US home uses about 30 kWh per day or ~900 kWh per month, though this varies widely by state and climate.