To estimate the electricity cost of a 24/7 YouTube stream, multiply the equipment’s power draw by the hours it runs, convert the result to kilowatt-hours, then apply your electricity rate. The result depends on your actual equipment, tariff and what you include in the calculation; the 100 W example below is illustrative, not a measured streaming setup.
The useful comparison is not simply one bill against another. It is the same runtime and assumed load calculated at different rates, with the assumptions made visible so you can replace them with your own.
Power and energy are different things
Watts measure power: the rate at which a device uses energy at a particular moment. Kilowatt-hours (kWh) measure energy used over time, which is the unit commonly used for electricity consumption on a bill. A 100 W device running for one hour does not use 100 kWh; it uses 0.1 kWh.
The distinction matters because a computer’s advertised power supply capacity or a component’s maximum rating does not tell you how much electricity the full setup uses continuously. The actual draw depends on the computer and its workload, along with other equipment you choose to include. A live stream can keep equipment running for long periods, but the stream itself does not specify a particular wattage.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration explains the relationship with a 40 W load used for five hours: that is 200 watt-hours, or 0.2 kWh. You can use the same conversion for your own equipment: watts multiplied by hours gives watt-hours, then divide by 1,000 to get kWh. See the EIA’s explanation of electricity measurement for the unit definitions.
Before calculating, decide what the estimate is meant to cover. If you want the cost of keeping a creator-side setup operating, you might include the computer, capture or encoding equipment, monitor if it stays on, and networking equipment if you want that counted. If a device is switched off or powered separately, do not silently include it. State the boundary so the estimate has a clear meaning.
This is not the same as estimating all electricity used to deliver and watch a video. Studies of streaming energy can include data centres, networks and viewers’ devices, depending on their methods. They do not automatically tell you what your own PC adds to your household bill.
Set the number of hours first
A 24/7 schedule means 24 hours per day, every day in the period you are estimating. For a 30-day month, that is 24 × 30 = 720 hours. For a 365-day year, it is 24 × 365 = 8,760 hours. These are runtime assumptions for the arithmetic, not a claim that any particular stream or device actually runs without interruption.
Choose the period that matches the question you are trying to answer. A 30-day month is useful for comparing monthly scenarios, but a calendar month may have a different number of days. For an exact calendar-period estimate, multiply 24 by the number of days in that period. For a year with a different number of days, use the actual count rather than multiplying a 30-day month by twelve.
If the stream runs only part of each day, use the actual scheduled hours. For instance, a setup running for 12 hours a day over 30 days has 360 hours of runtime. If it stops for planned maintenance, subtract those hours if you are estimating actual consumption rather than a full-time schedule.
A continuous schedule can still have interruptions. The formula does not predict drops or account for periods when the equipment is idle. If your computer stays powered on during a broadcast interruption, those hours may still count toward the equipment’s energy use. If it shuts down, they may not. Use a runtime assumption that describes the equipment, not only the intended broadcast schedule.
Convert watts into monthly kWh
For a steady load, the calculation is:
Energy in kWh = (power in watts ÷ 1,000) × hours
Dividing by 1,000 converts watts to kilowatts. Multiplying kilowatts by hours gives kilowatt-hours. The units are a useful check: if your answer is still labelled watts, you have not completed the conversion.
For a 30-day period at a constant load, the hours are 720. That means the calculation can also be written as:
Monthly kWh = power in watts × 0.72
The 0.72 is simply 720 hours divided by 1,000. It is a shortcut for this particular 30-day period, not a universal multiplier. For another number of days, work from the hours directly or calculate a new multiplier.
If your equipment draw changes during the day, do not treat a single momentary reading as a constant load unless you have reason to think it is representative. You can divide the day into periods and calculate each separately, then add the kWh. Alternatively, measure cumulative energy over an interval that reflects the real workload. A plug-in electricity usage monitor is one product category to investigate for equipment measured at a wall socket; choose a device appropriate to your location and electrical system, and treat the reading as evidence about only the devices connected through it.
A time-weighted average can also work when you have reliable measurements for different operating states. If a computer spends some hours encoding and other hours idle, calculate energy for each state from its own draw and duration, then sum the results. The average should reflect the hours actually spent in each state, rather than an unweighted average of readings.
Apply your price per kWh
Once you have an energy estimate, multiply it by the applicable price per kWh:
Electricity cost = kWh × price per kWh
Use the energy rate that applies to your account, not a number picked because it appears in an example. Your bill or current tariff information is the practical starting point. The per-kWh charge may not be the whole bill: fixed charges, taxes, delivery charges or other items can also appear. The calculation here estimates the energy charge for the included load; it is not a prediction of your complete bill.
If the price changes by time of day, split the calculation across the applicable periods. Work out the kWh used during each period, multiply each amount by its corresponding rate, then add those costs. The U.S. Department of Energy describes time-of-use and dynamic rate structures in its guidance on evaluating utility rate options. The principle applies wherever a tariff has different prices at different times, although the tariff details depend on your provider and location.
The table compares several assumed loads and rates for a 30-day, 720-hour period. Every figure is calculated from the formula; none is a measurement of a particular computer or stream. The rates are scenario inputs, not universal prices.
| Assumed continuous load | Energy over 30 days | Cost at $0.10/kWh | Cost at $0.20/kWh | Cost at $0.30/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 W | 36 kWh | $3.60 | $7.20 | $10.80 |
| 100 W | 72 kWh | $7.20 | $14.40 | $21.60 |
| 200 W | 144 kWh | $14.40 | $28.80 | $43.20 |
| 300 W | 216 kWh | $21.60 | $43.20 | $64.80 |
To adapt the table, replace both the assumed watts and the rate. A 200 W scenario is not necessarily twice the draw of your particular 100 W setup: those are separate assumed loads for comparison. Likewise, your electricity provider’s rate may be higher or lower than the example columns.
Work through the illustrative 100 W case
Suppose, purely for illustration, that the equipment included in your estimate draws a steady 100 W and runs for 24 hours a day over 30 days. The assumed period is 720 hours. Convert the load to kilowatts: 100 ÷ 1,000 = 0.1 kW. Then multiply by the hours: 0.1 × 720 = 72 kWh.
Now apply an illustrative price of $0.20 per kWh. The energy charge for this scenario is 72 × $0.20 = $14.40 for the 30-day period. This is arithmetic based on the stated load, hours and rate. It is not a measurement of a streaming computer, a claim about a typical setup or a promise about anyone’s bill.
Keep the assumptions visible when you reuse the result. If your measured draw is 80 W rather than 100 W, the kWh figure changes. If your own rate is different, the cost changes even when the energy use stays the same. If both differ, change both inputs rather than adjusting the final amount by guesswork.
For an annual calculation at the same steady 100 W assumption, use 8,760 hours: 0.1 kW × 8,760 = 876 kWh. Multiply that energy by your applicable rate to get the scenario’s energy charge. Do not derive an exact year by multiplying the 30-day amount by twelve, because that represents 360 days, not a 365-day year.
Choose a rate from your own bill
Find the per-kWh energy charge on your current bill or tariff, and note whether the figure applies at all hours. If you are in India or another market where the bill uses different line items or units, check how the provider expresses the energy charge and convert it into a price per kWh before using the formula. Do not assume that a headline rate includes every charge that appears on the final bill.
A published average can provide context, but it cannot replace your own tariff. For example, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports geographic variation in electricity prices; state-level averages are not a household rate and do not account for every detail of an individual bill. The EIA’s discussion of electricity prices and factors affecting them is useful background, but use your provider’s current information for the calculation.
Where your tariff is time-dependent, you need both the rates and the hours that fall into each period. Calculate each period on its own. If you do not know when a stream’s equipment is drawing power, use the tariff’s applicable time bands and estimate the runtime within each one, or keep the result as a range rather than presenting one precise figure.
Remember that the calculation is only as good as its inputs. Check the bill period, the unit, and whether the rate is an energy charge or a broader total. If you are comparing two operating choices, hold the rate and runtime constant while changing the equipment draw, or hold the draw constant while changing the rate. That makes it easier to see what is driving the difference.
Measure what your setup actually draws
Define the measurement boundary before plugging in a meter or recording readings. For a computer-only estimate, measure the computer. For a broader estimate, include the monitor, capture equipment or networking gear that remains on for the schedule you are costing. Do not add a device’s rated maximum power to a measured reading as though both figures represented continuous consumption.
A power supply labelled with a maximum rating tells you its capacity, not the computer’s actual draw at the wall. The same caution applies to a brief reading: a short sample may capture an idle moment, a demanding scene or a temporary burst. For a more representative estimate, observe cumulative kWh over a period that includes the usual streaming workload, or take readings across the different states and weight them by their duration.
If you cannot measure, use a clearly labelled assumption and show the calculation. That is more useful than presenting a guessed wattage as a fact. You can run multiple scenarios, as the table does, until you have a measurement. If the scenarios lead to very different costs, that is a reason to measure the equipment or check the tariff before making a decision.
The estimate is for electricity attributable to the devices you included at your location. It does not count the electricity used by viewers’ televisions, phones, routers or other networks, and it should not be combined casually with figures from studies of video delivery. The International Energy Agency’s analysis of video streaming, for example, concerns viewing and is sensitive to the device and network assumptions; it is not a measured wattage for a creator’s YouTube streaming PC. Keep those boundaries separate when comparing figures.
Relate the calculation to your operating choice
Electricity is one part of the cost of keeping a channel live. The calculation can help you compare a continuously running local computer with a different workflow, but it cannot settle the comparison on its own. You also need to consider the equipment you already own, its actual draw, maintenance, reliability requirements and what you value about controlling the setup yourself.
If you are building a local system, a lower-power device may use less electricity under comparable conditions, but its suitability depends on the workload and the software you plan to run. Our guide to configuring OBS on a low-power mini PC covers the practical side of that choice. For a broader comparison of ways to keep a channel running, see the low-cost cloud setup guide for India; compare the actual costs and trade-offs for your own situation rather than assuming one approach will always be cheaper.
If the recurring burden is leaving a home computer on and checking whether the broadcast has stopped, StreamNeo can remove that particular task: you upload a video and provide your YouTube stream key, and the broadcast can continue without your computer running. That does not make electricity free or determine your bill; use the same boundary-aware cost calculation for any equipment you continue to operate.
Your channel’s content workflow matters too. A recorded service or music loop may suit a file-based broadcast, while a live camera or changing programme may need a different setup. The guide to running recorded church services around the clock and the advice on preventing gaps between songs in a Hindi music stream address different practical requirements. They are useful context when deciding what equipment must actually run for your channel.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
How much does 100 W cost to run for 24 hours a day?
For a 30-day period, a constant 100 W load uses 72 kWh. At an illustrative $0.20/kWh, that scenario costs $14.40 in energy charges, before any fixed fees or other bill items. Replace the assumed watts and price with your own figures; this is not a measured streaming setup.
Is a computer’s power supply rating its electricity use?
No. A power supply’s rating describes its capacity, not the computer’s continuous draw from the wall. Measure representative consumption if you can, or label an assumed wattage clearly and calculate more than one scenario.
Should I include the viewer’s electricity or data centres?
Not when estimating the electricity use of your own creator-side equipment. Those are different parts of the video-streaming system and may appear in studies with different boundaries; keep them separate from the electricity charge for your local setup.
What if my electricity rate changes during the day?
Calculate the kWh for each rate period separately, multiply each amount by its applicable price, then add the costs. Check your current tariff for its time bands and charges, since a single average rate may not describe your actual usage cost.