If your computer runs OBS continuously, estimate the electricity cost from the equipment’s average wall draw, the hours it operates and your applicable price per kilowatt-hour. OBS does not have one standard power consumption figure, and the wattage printed on a computer’s power supply is not a measurement of what the setup uses.
For a 24/7 stream over a 30-day month, multiply the average wall draw in watts by 0.72 to estimate monthly kilowatt-hours. Multiply that result by the energy rate on your tariff to estimate the energy charge, then keep fixed, demand and other bill components separate.
Measure the equipment, not the OBS label
OBS is software. The electricity use belongs to the computer, display, storage, cooling, accessories and other equipment that remains powered while the broadcast runs. The stream workload can affect the computer’s draw, but there is no single OBS setting that produces one standard wattage for every machine.
A computer encoding a simple pre-recorded video may behave differently from one rendering scenes, scaling several sources, recording locally and driving multiple displays. The processor, graphics hardware, resolution, frame rate, encoder, cooling profile and background applications can all change the wall draw. The official OBS Knowledge Base does not provide a representative wattage for an always-on stream, so do not use a supposed “OBS watts” figure as the starting point.
The most useful input is the average draw at the wall while the complete setup is doing the work you intend to run overnight. A plug-in electricity usage monitor that records cumulative kilowatt-hours can provide that input. It is a measurement aid, not a streaming accessory that changes the calculation.
If the draw is stable, a reading taken while the system is operating may be adequate for a rough estimate. If it moves up and down, measure energy over a representative period and divide the energy by the time measured. The U.S. Department of Energy’s guidance on measuring standby power describes this average-power approach for fluctuating consumption.
Try to measure the production state rather than the idle desktop. Start the relevant OBS scene, encoder and sources, leave the equipment in the normal streaming configuration, and record the meter’s result over time. If your channel changes between a quiet overnight loop and a more demanding daytime layout, measure both states or use a weighted average based on how long each state runs.
Do not confuse power with energy. Watts describe the rate at which equipment is using electricity at a moment. Kilowatt-hours describe the accumulated electricity used over time. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s explanation of measuring electricity makes the same distinction: utilities generally measure consumption in kilowatt-hours.
Include everything that stays on
Before you calculate, define the boundary of the setup. If the computer alone is connected to the meter, the result is a computer estimate. If the meter covers the computer, screens, powered speakers, external drives, lights and network equipment, the result represents that wider group.
For many small channels, the equipment list may include:
- the desktop or laptop running OBS
- one or more monitors left on for checking the broadcast
- an external capture device or camera that remains powered
- speakers, audio interfaces or other production equipment
- external storage used by the streaming computer
- a router or network switch, if you are assigning its electricity to the stream
- cooling equipment or room lighting, where those are operated specifically for the channel
There is no universally correct boundary. A router may serve the whole household, so allocating all of its consumption to the stream could make the channel look more expensive than it is. The important point is to state what you included and use the same boundary when comparing alternatives.
A monitor is an easy item to overlook. If you can operate the channel without watching it continuously, turning the display off may reduce the setup’s draw while leaving the computer running. DOE guidance on purchasing energy-efficient computers also discusses power management and turning off a monitor when a networked computer must remain on for another task. Do not switch off a screen that you genuinely need for monitoring or intervention.
The power supply unit creates another common misunderstanding. A 650 W PSU, for example, is designed to provide up to its rated output under suitable conditions. That number does not mean the computer continuously consumes 650 W from the wall. The wall meter sees the actual input, including conversion losses, while the PSU label describes a capability or rating.
If you are comparing a desktop with a smaller dedicated device, compare the complete measured boundaries. A small computer may draw less at the wall, but it may require a display, adapter or separate storage that was not included in the first reading. A desktop may already include those functions. Compare like with like before drawing a conclusion.
Convert continuous operation into monthly kWh
For a computer or complete setup with an average wall draw of P watts, operating H hours per day for D days, use:
Monthly energy = P × H × D ÷ 1,000 kWh
For a continuous 24/7 stream during a 30-day month, H is 24 and D is 30. That gives 720 operating hours, so the formula becomes:
Monthly energy = P × 720 ÷ 1,000 kWh
or, more simply:
Monthly energy = P × 0.72 kWh
The 0.72 factor is arithmetic based on a 30-day month. It is not an OBS benchmark. It means that each 1 W of average continuous wall draw corresponds to 0.72 kWh in that particular month.
Here are illustrative energy results using deliberately chosen wall-draw inputs. They show how the calculation behaves; they are not typical OBS measurements.
| Average wall draw | Operating pattern | Calculation | Monthly energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 W | 24 hours a day for 30 days | 40 × 720 ÷ 1,000 | 28.8 kWh |
| 100 W | 24 hours a day for 30 days | 100 × 720 ÷ 1,000 | 72 kWh |
| 180 W | 24 hours a day for 30 days | 180 × 720 ÷ 1,000 | 129.6 kWh |
| 100 W | 12 hours a day for 30 days | 100 × 12 × 30 ÷ 1,000 | 36 kWh |
The first three rows differ only in the assumed average draw. The table does not say that an OBS computer normally uses 40 W, 100 W or 180 W. You would replace those assumptions with your wall-meter result.
A calendar month is not always 30 days. For a closer estimate, use the actual number of days in the billing period. A 31-day continuous period has 744 hours, while a 28-day period has 672 hours. If your bill covers a different range, use that range rather than forcing it into a 30-day estimate.
For a stream that runs only part of each day, do not multiply by 0.72. Use the hours-per-day formula. For example, a setup measured at 100 W and operated for 12 hours daily uses 36 kWh in a 30-day period, before any other household consumption is considered.
Multiply by the applicable electricity rate
Once you have monthly kWh, multiply it by the marginal energy rate that applies to that usage:
Estimated energy charge = monthly kWh × price per kWh
Suppose a setup has a measured average of 100 W and operates continuously for 30 days. The energy estimate is 72 kWh. If the applicable energy rate were represented by R, the energy charge would be 72 × R in the currency used by the tariff.
Use the rate on your own utility bill or current rate schedule. For a household in India, that may involve slabs, a state-specific tariff, a sanctioned-load structure or other local rules. A channel in another country may use a flat rate, time-of-use pricing or a supplier-specific plan. The relevant figure is not a general internet average but the rate that applies to the additional consumption in your billing period.
The DOE Federal Energy Management Program page on evaluating utility rate options explains that energy charges can vary by time and season, and that a bill may also contain demand and fixed components. If your tariff has separate rates for different periods, split the stream’s kWh between those periods before multiplying.
For a dated arithmetic illustration only, DOE FEMP uses 11¢ per kWh in its monitor-cost guidance. This is described as an average electricity price at federal facilities as of July 2024, as listed on the U.S. Department of Energy’s site in September 2026. It is not a universal household rate and should not be treated as a current residential price in India, the United Kingdom or elsewhere.
Using that dated federal-facility assumption, 72 kWh would produce an illustrative energy charge of $7.92. The calculation is 72 × $0.11. It is not a prediction of your complete electricity bill, and it does not establish what an always-on OBS setup costs in general.
If your rate is quoted in another unit, convert it carefully. A tariff may show paise per kWh, pence per kWh or a currency amount per unit. Keep the currency and unit visible beside the calculation so that a reader does not mistake a rate for a monthly total.
Make every assumption visible
A useful estimate should allow another person to reproduce it. Put the main assumptions beside the result rather than hiding them in a paragraph. At minimum, record:
- average wall draw in watts
- equipment included in the measurement
- hours operated per day
- number of days in the billing period
- price per kWh and the tariff period it represents
- whether the result covers energy charges only
For example: “Measured setup: 100 W average at the wall, computer and one monitor included, 24 hours daily, 30-day month, 72 kWh, multiplied by the applicable rate.” That statement is more useful than saying “the stream costs around a few pounds” because it shows which part can change.
If you have not measured the setup, label the wattage as an assumption. Do not write “an OBS stream uses 100 W” when what you mean is “this example assumes a 100 W setup”. The second wording keeps the example transparent and avoids turning an arbitrary input into a pseudo-benchmark.
When comparing two machines, use the same workload and time boundary. Measure both while they are running the same video, output resolution, frame rate and source arrangement, if those are part of the production. Include or exclude displays and network equipment consistently. Also compare the same rate period if the tariff changes by time.
This matters when considering a lower-power alternative. A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W FFmpeg streaming setup may have a different workload and operating boundary from a desktop running a full OBS scene collection. The article you are costing may use a different encoder and may not be a direct substitute. Measure the actual arrangement before treating a smaller device as a bill-saving result.
Likewise, a cloud-based arrangement changes the electricity question rather than eliminating every cost. If your goal is to stop leaving the home computer on, StreamNeo removes that specific always-on computer task by letting you upload the video, provide the YouTube stream key and let the broadcast run while your computer is switched off. You still need to consider the service and your channel setup separately, and the stream remains YouTube-only.
Energy charges are not the full bill
The watts-to-kWh calculation estimates the energy component attributable to the measured equipment. It does not promise that your complete utility bill will rise by exactly that amount. Bills can include fixed charges, taxes, delivery or transmission components, demand charges, minimum charges and other tariff elements.
A fixed charge may stay the same whether the stream runs or not. A demand charge may depend on a measured peak or billing rule rather than simply adding the stream’s monthly kWh. Some tariffs apply thresholds or slabs, so additional consumption can affect the price applied to part of the household’s usage without behaving like a simple flat-rate calculation.
The clean way to present the result is therefore “estimated monthly energy charge for the measured setup”, not “the new electricity bill”. If you want to understand the bill impact, compare the bill’s relevant line items before and after a controlled operating period, while recognising that other household loads and tariff changes can obscure the difference.
Advanced meters may provide hourly or shorter-interval usage data. That can help you see whether the stream overlaps with a higher-priced period or a household peak. It does not remove the need to identify what else was running during the interval.
Also keep electricity separate from internet and channel costs. A continuous YouTube broadcast may involve broadband usage, content licensing questions, equipment replacement and operator time. Those are real operating considerations, but they are not part of the kWh energy-charge formula.
For practical planning, create two figures: the measured stream setup’s energy charge and the full channel operating budget. The first answers “what electricity use does this equipment add under this tariff?” The second can include connectivity, software, content preparation and any hosting or automation choice, without pretending those items are utility charges.
Use the estimate to choose a workable setup
Start with measurement rather than optimisation. If the computer is already available, place the complete intended setup on a meter and record its average draw during the actual stream workload. If the result is acceptable, you have a defensible baseline. If it is not, you can test one change at a time.
The simplest changes are often operational. Turn off a monitor that is not needed, enable suitable power management, remove unnecessary background applications and avoid running unrelated workloads on the streaming machine. Do not close software or disable hardware that OBS needs to keep the broadcast stable.
A lower wall draw is not automatically the best choice if it introduces restarts, dropped frames or manual intervention. Compare measured electricity use with the reliability of the stream, the time you spend checking it and the consequences of a failure overnight. A saving that depends on frequent intervention may not be a saving for a small channel operator.
If you are building a looped channel, first decide whether the computer needs to remain involved at all. A guide to looping a playlist on YouTube Live can help you examine the software side, while recovering an FFmpeg stream after a network drop covers a different reliability problem. These choices affect workload and operating practice, but neither article supplies a universal electricity figure for your hardware.
For a local OBS setup, write down the measured watts and the devices included. For a remote or hosted workflow, record the cost under its own category rather than forcing it into the household power estimate. The comparison should be made using the same question: energy charge at home, total channel cost, or time spent maintaining the stream.
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
Does OBS itself use a fixed amount of electricity?
No. OBS is software running on a particular computer, and the computer’s draw depends on its hardware, workload and attached equipment. Measure the relevant setup at the wall instead of assigning a benchmark to the OBS name.
Is the PSU wattage the monthly power consumption?
No. The PSU rating describes the output capacity or rating of the power supply, not the computer’s continuous wall draw. Use a wall meter or another credible consumption measurement, including the equipment you intend to leave on.
How do I calculate a 24/7 stream’s kWh for 30 days?
Multiply the average wall draw in watts by 720 hours and divide by 1,000. The shorter form is average watts multiplied by 0.72, which gives estimated kWh for a continuous 30-day period.
Why does my calculated energy charge not match the change in my bill?
The calculation covers the energy component for the measured equipment. Your bill may also contain fixed, demand, seasonal, time-of-use, tax or other tariff components, so it does not guarantee a particular change in the complete bill.