Electricity cost basics
Four short explainers that make the rest of the site click: what a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is, the difference between watts and kWh, how to read your electric bill to find your real rate, and how the running-cost calculator works.
What is a kilowatt-hour (kWh)?
The unit on your bill, explained — and how it relates to watts.
Watts vs kWh — what's the difference?Power (watts) versus energy (kWh), and why both matter for cost.
How to read your electric billFind your price per kWh, fixed charges and usage on a typical bill.
How the running-cost calculator worksThe exact DOE formula behind every number on this site.
Last updated: 2026-06-20