The difference is quite simple, but many people muddle them up.

Watts (W)

A watt (W) is a unit of measurement of power. Watts therefore refer to the power of your device.

Examples:

• an incandescent lamp has a power of 60 W
• your microwave oven has a maximum power of 900 W

The watt, as its many variations – kilowatt, megawatt, etc. – measures the electrical power of a device, whether it is a motor, a machine or the heating capacity of a boiler or wood stove. Today, this information appears on the technical descriptions for all electrical appliances.

The more powerful a device is, the higher the number of watts.

Here is a list of appliances with their power (in watts) and their consumption (in kWh).

Kilowatt hours (kWh)

A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a unit of measurement of energy. A kilowatt hour therefore refers to the consumption of your device.

1 kilowatt hour (kWh) is the energy consumed by a 1,000-watt or 1-kilowatt electrical appliance operating for 1 hour.

Examples:

• a 60 W lamp that burns for one hour will have consumed 60 Wh or 0.06 kWh
• a 900 W microwave oven that runs for 5 minutes will have consumed 75Wh or 0.075 kWh

Here you will find how to calculate the consumption of your electrical device yourself