A kilowatt (kW) is a unit of power equal to 1,000 watts. It measures the rate at which energy is used or produced. For example, a typical electric kettle might use about 2 kW of power when boiling water, meaning it consumes 2,000 watts of energy every hour. Kilowatts are commonly used to describe the output of electrical devices and the capacity of power plants. In the context of electricity bills, consumers often see their usage measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), which indicates how much energy they have consumed over time, such as in a month.