How much does it cost to run a PC 24/7 in Mumbai? There is no single Mumbai-wide figure: the cost depends on the PC’s average draw at the wall, your electricity distributor, your residential category and the household’s monthly slab. A transparent Tata Power Distribution Mumbai example puts 100 W of continuous use at 72 kWh in a 30-day month, with about ₹310–₹910 in base energy-plus-wheeling charges depending on the slab where those units fall.
That ₹310–₹910 is not a complete bill, a universal Mumbai rate or a promise of your PC’s incremental cost. It excludes fixed charges and other adjustments, and a household already using electricity may have the PC’s added units priced across higher slabs. The useful first step is to measure the setup’s average consumption, then check the tariff and bill for your own connection.
Short answer: utility, slab and draw determine cost
Three questions set the estimate. How much power does the computer and any included monitor actually draw from the wall over a representative day? Which distributor and residential category appear on your bill? And where will the extra energy sit in the household’s monthly tariff slabs?
For the worked example below, assume a steady 100 W average draw for 30 days. That is a calculation scenario, not a claim about a typical streaming PC. The arithmetic gives 72 kWh; under Tata Power Company Limited Distribution Business’s Mumbai residential LT I (B) tariff for FY 2026–27, the base energy and wheeling components give a different amount depending on the slab used for those units.
| Where all 72 added units are priced in the example | Energy component | Wheeling component | Base total per kWh | 72-unit base calculation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–100-unit slab | ₹1.90 | ₹2.40 | ₹4.30 | about ₹310 |
| 100–300-unit slab | ₹4.70 | ₹2.40 | ₹7.10 | about ₹511 |
| 301–500-unit slab | ₹9.24 | ₹2.40 | ₹11.64 | about ₹838 |
| Above 500 units | ₹10.24 | ₹2.40 | ₹12.64 | about ₹910 |
The figures are illustrative base variable-charge calculations from the cited schedule, rounded to the nearest rupee. They isolate energy plus wheeling; they do not calculate the complete payable bill. If the PC’s units cross a threshold, split them between the applicable slabs rather than using one row for all of them. Your account’s applicable category and bill components govern the result.
This is an electricity estimate, not a recommendation to choose a particular streaming method. If you are weighing a local machine against a cloud approach, the practical considerations in running a 24/7 channel on a spare PC can help frame what equipment you would include in the measurement.
Convert continuous 100 W use into monthly kWh
Electricity bills charge for energy, commonly expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), not for the power-supply unit’s maximum rating. Convert watts and run time with this formula:
watts × hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh
For a 30-day month, continuous use is 24 hours per day × 30 days, or 720 hours. So a device drawing an average of 100 W uses 100 × 720 ÷ 1,000 = 72 kWh. If your billing period is not 30 days, use its actual number of days: multiply that by 24 to get hours, then apply the same formula.
The method scales with the measured average. As calculation examples, 50 W for 720 hours is 36 kWh, 150 W is 108 kWh and 200 W is 144 kWh. These values describe arithmetic scenarios, not expected consumption for particular hardware. A PC’s draw can change between idle playback, encoding, other work and a restart. A monitor adds to the total if it stays on and is included in the measurement.
Do not substitute the wattage printed on a power supply. That rating describes a capacity, not what the computer continuously takes from the outlet. Nor should you assume that the stream’s video bitrate translates directly into a particular wall draw. The PC’s components, workload and settings affect its energy use; measuring the complete setup is more reliable than inferring it from one label.
A steady scenario is useful for a quick estimate, but most operation is not perfectly steady. If the stream runs through different workloads, a meter that records energy over a representative period captures those changes. A short peak reading is not a monthly average, and a reading from a quiet idle period may not represent encoding hours.
Apply the cited FY 2026–27 Mumbai tariff example
The tariff figures in the table are from Tata Power Company Limited Distribution Business’s residential LT I (B) schedule, effective from 1 April 2026 through 31 March 2027, as listed in its tariff order. The schedule shows energy and wheeling separately by monthly slab. Adding those two components provides a transparent base variable-charge illustration; it is not a full bill calculation. Read the Tata Power Distribution tariff order.
The ₹310 figure comes from multiplying all 72 kWh by ₹4.30, the energy-plus-wheeling rate shown for the 0–100-unit slab. The other examples do the same with the rate in each row. They answer a narrow question: what would the base variable charges be if all 72 units were priced at that row’s rate? They do not establish that a household’s added units will all fall there.
For an existing household, the relevant calculation is usually marginal: how much more does the bill cost with the PC than without it? If the home’s existing consumption leaves room within one slab, some added units may be priced there; if consumption crosses a boundary, later units may be charged at the next slab’s rate. Calculate the household bill with its existing use, then with the PC’s estimated kWh added, using the tariff’s rules. The difference is a better estimate of the PC’s variable impact than applying the lowest rate to every unit.
The order also lists a time-of-day rebate of ₹0.55/kWh for residential use from 09:00 to 17:00 in FY 2026–27, subject to installation of a smart meter. An always-on PC uses energy both in and outside those hours, but do not subtract the rebate unless your meter and account meet the stated conditions. Check the current order and your account details before including it.
If the channel uses a pre-recorded loop, that does not eliminate the computer’s electricity draw: the equipment still has to play or encode and send the stream. For the separate question of preparing the video file, see this guide to encoding a large YouTube loop playlist; the energy estimate here should be based on what remains powered during the actual broadcast.
Understand how household slabs affect the estimate
A tariff slab is not a separate discount coupon for each appliance. The account’s total monthly consumption is what matters. If a household uses 85 units before the PC, its next units may occupy a different part of the schedule than a household that already uses 250 units. The PC’s own 72 kWh do not automatically get their own first-slab allowance.
For a simple illustration, suppose your measured PC use is 72 kWh and your home already consumes enough that all of the added units would land in the 100–300-unit range. In that case, the relevant base calculation for those added units uses ₹7.10/kWh, or about ₹511. But if only part of the PC’s energy falls in that range and the rest crosses into another slab, calculate each part separately at its corresponding rate. This is a way to reason through the schedule, not a prediction of a particular reader’s bill.
The exact slab treatment should be read from the current schedule for the category on your account. Billing periods can differ from the 30-day assumption, and a change in days alters the kWh scenario. If your household has an unusual billing interval, use the actual meter reading and period rather than forcing the estimate into a 30-day month.
Avoid comparing the PC’s estimate with an average residential rate calculated from the whole bill unless you know what is included. A bill-wide average may blend variable energy charges, fixed charges and other items. For the PC alone, first estimate its incremental kWh, then apply the tariff’s marginal slab treatment and consider adjustments separately.
Identify excluded fixed charges and adjustments
The table deliberately excludes fixed charges. The cited Tata Power order lists monthly residential fixed charges of ₹90 for a single-phase connection and ₹160 for a three-phase connection. Those are connection-level charges, and generally should not be assigned in full to the PC as though the computer caused them. If your household would pay the same fixed charge with or without the streaming machine, it is not an incremental cost of the PC. Check the official tariff material and consumer information.
The order says a fuel adjustment charge (FAC) is charged over and above the base tariff. That means a base energy-plus-wheeling multiplication can differ from the amount ultimately appearing on the bill. Other applicable items or adjustments may also affect the payable amount. Do not invent a fixed add-on to compensate for this: look at the current bill and tariff material for the account’s actual charges.
Keep the distinction clear when reporting your own estimate. The PC’s measured kWh is one figure; the base variable-charge calculation is another; the final change in the bill depends on the tariff application and applicable bill components. The complete bill may include charges that are not caused by a particular appliance, while some adjustments may vary with energy use. A comparison of bills before and after a change can be informative, but changes in other household use and billing days can make it an imperfect appliance-level measurement.
You can tighten the estimate by keeping a short record: the meter’s kWh at the start and end of a representative period, the number of days, and what equipment was included. Then compare the resulting daily average and monthly equivalent with the bill’s billing period. If a utility calculator is available, use it as an estimate rather than a substitute for the account’s tariff order and bill.
Measure the PC at the wall
A plug-in energy monitor that records kWh is an optional way to measure a PC’s wall consumption. Use a device rated for the local socket and load, and measure the computer together with any equipment you want included, such as a display. The monitor provides consumption data; it does not tell you the rupee rate or apply your household’s slabs. This is a measurement suggestion, not a claim that a particular product has been tested.
Measure during representative operation. Include the ordinary stream workload, periods when the machine is idle, any encoding or other work it performs, and restarts if they are part of the normal routine. If the channel plays an already prepared file without additional encoding, measure that actual setup rather than assuming the heavier or lighter workload of another configuration.
If you cannot measure for a full billing period, record kWh over a meaningful sample of normal operation and divide by the number of measured days to get a daily average. Multiply that average by the expected operating days in your billing period. This is an estimate: unusual activity during the sample, changes in workload, or leaving out a display can skew it.
A desktop’s consumption can be one part of the 24/7 operation. Include the monitor only if it remains on; include a separate capture or playback device only if it is part of the setup. Measure devices together if that is how they will run, or separately if you want to know which one accounts for the energy. The aim is to match the meter boundary to the question you are asking.
Once you have the monthly kWh, add it to household consumption and work through the applicable slab schedule. It can help to keep a before-and-after calculation: existing monthly use, added PC kWh, and the portions charged at each rate. If the equipment’s workload changes later, measure again rather than assuming the first value remains true. StreamNeo can remove the need to leave your own computer running for a file-based 24/7 broadcast, which is relevant when the constant local power draw is the specific problem you are trying to solve.
Check the correct utility and residential category
“Mumbai residential tariff” is not enough information to choose a rate. Start with your electricity bill: identify the distribution utility, residential category, billing period and, where relevant, meter phase. Use the schedule for that utility and category, not a rate found in an example for a different distributor.
The worked numbers above are specifically for Tata Power Company Limited Distribution Business in Mumbai. MSEDCL lists a separate FY 2026–27 MYT Tariff Order in Case No. 75 of 2025, dated 25 March 2026. That listing confirms a separate order exists; it does not provide enough detail by itself to reproduce a MSEDCL household calculation here. See MSEDCL’s official tariff-order index. Do not transfer the Tata Power figures to an MSEDCL account or assume one distributor’s schedule represents every Mumbai home.
Your bill is also the practical check on the account details. A distributor may serve an area, but the account’s listed category and applicable tariff are what you need for calculation. If you are uncertain which schedule applies, use the utility’s official support or consumer portal and verify the current order. MSEDCL’s Web Self Service help page describes tools for estimating consumption and an approximate bill; an estimate tool does not replace the actual tariff and bill.
This matters especially when comparing a local-PC approach with another way of keeping a channel live. A useful like-for-like comparison records the same operating hours and content, includes the same devices, and distinguishes energy from fixed or account-wide charges. For a channel built around a devotional loop, the guide to running an Om chanting stream continuously addresses the broadcast setup; the electricity figure still needs to come from your measured equipment and utility bill.
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
Is ₹310–₹910 the complete monthly bill for a 100 W PC?
No. It is an illustrative base energy-plus-wheeling calculation for 72 kWh under the listed Tata Power Distribution Mumbai FY 2026–27 slab rates. It excludes fixed charges and adjustments such as FAC, and does not apply universally across Mumbai utilities or household consumption levels.
Should I use my PC’s power-supply rating to calculate electricity cost?
No. The rating is not a measurement of the computer’s continuous draw. Measure the equipment at the wall during representative operation, convert the recorded kWh to the relevant billing period, and then apply your account’s tariff.
What if my home already uses more than 100 units a month?
Price the PC’s added kWh according to the household’s marginal slab allocation. Some or all of the additional units may fall in higher slabs, and units crossing a threshold should be split according to the tariff schedule rather than priced at one assumed rate.
Do the Tata Power example rates apply to every Mumbai home?
No. They come from Tata Power Company Limited Distribution Business’s residential LT I (B) FY 2026–27 schedule. Check the utility and residential category on your bill, then use that distributor’s current tariff and bill details.