This article is part of the Power Management Series: What’s the Difference Between Watts, RMS, and More?
Your utility Power Factor is the ratio of the system’s Real Power and the Apparent Power. This unitless factor ranges from −1 to 1. The Power Factor ratio aptly describes the type of storage elements in the circuit and the stability of the current-to-voltage relationship. More importantly, for utility companies, this ratio provides insight into a user’s power consumption habits, enabling them to apply fees related to lower value Power Factors (usually below 0.80 or 0.85).