Electric bill terms: K
4 terms from electricity bills and tariffs that start with K, in plain words: Kilovolt-ampere (kVA), Kilowatt (kW), Kilowatt-hour (kWh), Kilowatt-hours per year.
- Kilovolt-ampere (kVA) Units and basics
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A unit of apparent power. Utilities use kVA for transformers and for some large customers. Utilities bill homes in kWh, not kVA.
Also called: kVA.
See also: Power factor.
- Kilowatt (kW) Units and basics
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A unit of power: 1,000 watts. Power tells how fast an appliance uses energy. Energy (kWh) is power (kW) multiplied by the hours of use.
Also called: kW.
See also: Kilowatt-hour (kWh), Demand charge.
- Kilowatt-hour (kWh) Units and basics
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The unit that your utility uses to measure the electricity that you use. One kWh is the energy that a 1,000-watt appliance uses in one hour. Most energy charges on a bill are a price for each kWh.
Also called: kWh, kilowatt hour.
See also: Kilowatt (kW), Watt (W).
- Kilowatt-hours per year Meters and usage
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The yearly energy use of an appliance. Divide by 12 for an average month.
Also called: kWh per year.
See also: EnergyGuide label.
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These definitions are general. The tariff of your utility gives the exact rule and the amount. Each calculator page on this site links to the tariff sheets. If a term is missing, send it to contactus@utilityratecalc.com.