What Is Wattage?

Jason Fogelson 08/01/2022 11:04am

When used with respect to electricity, wattage is a measurement of the amount of power consumed by an electrical device to operate. For example, a 100-watt light bulb requires 100 watts of electrical power to illuminate at any given time. See also Amp, Amperage, Volt, Voltage, and Watt.

Jason Fogelson

Jason Fogelson is the Managing Editor of Publication Operations for Cox Automotive Inc. He works with the editorial team to ensure everything you read on Kelley Blue Book is factual, grammatically correct, well-written, and relevant. Jason contributed to KBB for years before joining the staff in 2022 as part of a long career as a freelance automotive journalist and editor for magazines and websites. His first book, “100 Things for Every Gearhead to Do Before They Die,” was published by Reedy Press in 2016. Jason was President of the Motor Press Guild (MPG) for two terms and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA), the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), and the International Motor Press Association (IMPA). He lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife, dog, two cats, motorcycle, and van. He’s always on the hunt for an inexpensive roadster to fill an empty slot in his garage.
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