A 24/7 YouTube stream’s electricity cost in Canada depends on the PC’s measured average power draw and the marginal rate on your own electricity plan. Measure the load at the wall, calculate about 720 operating hours in a 30-day month, then account for time-of-use periods or tier thresholds.
That multiplication estimates the energy component, not necessarily the change on your full bill. Your household’s billing structure, other electricity use, delivery and regulatory charges, rebates and taxes can affect the amount you actually pay.
Why the estimate varies across Canada
There is no single Canadian residential electricity rate to apply to every home. Provinces and territories differ in rate structures, market and utility arrangements, subsidies, delivery charges and policy. Even within a jurisdiction, your utility, plan and household usage can change which price applies to an additional kilowatt-hour.
The Canadian Energy Regulator’s cross-Canada comparison is useful background on why comparisons need care. Its figures use jurisdiction-specific dates and assumptions; they are not a live quote for your household. Start with the electricity line on your current bill or your utility’s current rate page, and check whether it shows a fixed rate, time-of-use prices, tiers or another arrangement.
The other major unknown is the equipment. Two computers running the same video can draw different amounts because of their components and configuration. The power supply’s rated capacity is not a reading of normal consumption: a supply marked for a certain maximum wattage does not mean the computer continuously uses that much.
Also decide what belongs in the estimate. A monitor left on all night, a capture device or audio equipment can add to the measured load. A router that would be on anyway is not necessarily an incremental streaming cost; if you include it, be clear that you are counting its full consumption rather than only a change caused by the stream.
Measure the whole load at the wall
The most useful starting figure is average wall draw in watts while the stream is running in its ordinary configuration. A plug-in electricity usage monitor, sometimes called a watt meter, can measure a connected load at the outlet. Check that the device is suitable for the equipment and electrical setup you intend to measure. No single wattage is a safe assumption for every home PC.
Connect the equipment you want to count through the monitor, then let the stream run under representative conditions. Include the PC and only those peripherals that stay powered because of the stream. If you use the display to monitor the channel during setup but switch it off overnight, take separate readings or leave it out of the continuous estimate. If the router stays on for your household regardless, do not attribute all of its consumption to streaming.
A brief reading can miss variation. The PC may draw differently while encoding, playing a demanding scene, waiting between tasks or recovering from a reconnect. Measure over a representative period that includes the normal stream workload, and use the monitor’s average or cumulative energy reading if available. If it only shows instantaneous watts, take readings at different points during a normal run and use a sensible average; record that it is an estimate.
For a clearer comparison, note what was connected, whether the display was on, and how you operated the stream during measurement. A reading of the PC alone cannot be compared fairly with another estimate that includes a monitor and audio equipment. If you use a recorded playlist for a YouTube study room, for example, describe whether the playback computer and any continuously powered display are included in the figure.
Convert watts into monthly kWh
Electricity bills generally express energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Convert measured watts to kilowatts by dividing by 1,000, then multiply by the hours of operation. For a 30-day month running continuously, the calculation is:
Monthly kWh = average wall draw in watts ÷ 1,000 × 24 × 30
That is 720 hours. A measured average of 100 W, for example, becomes 0.1 kW × 720 hours = 72 kWh. This is a worked arithmetic example, not a claim that a typical streaming PC draws 100 W. Substitute your own measurement. A 50 W measured load would use 36 kWh; a 200 W load would use 144 kWh in the same month.
| Measured average wall draw | Energy for 720 hours | Cost at illustrative $0.10/kWh | Cost at illustrative $0.20/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 W | 36 kWh | $3.60 | $7.20 |
| 100 W | 72 kWh | $7.20 | $14.40 |
| 200 W | 144 kWh | $14.40 | $28.80 |
| 300 W | 216 kWh | $21.60 | $43.20 |
The two price columns are arithmetic examples only, not recommended rates or Canadian averages. The table isolates energy use and multiplication; it does not include the rest of a utility bill. If your stream does not run for all 720 hours, use the actual operating hours for that month instead. For a different month length, multiply by its actual days rather than treating every month as 30 days.
A second useful check is the monitor’s accumulated kWh reading. If it has measured the same equipment over a known number of hours, divide accumulated kWh by hours and multiply by 720 to estimate a 30-day equivalent. This can be more representative than extrapolating one brief watt reading, provided the measured period reflects your normal workload.
Apply your applicable marginal electricity price
For a flat energy rate, multiply monthly kWh by the price per kWh that applies to the next unit of consumption. For example, at an illustrative $0.10/kWh, 72 kWh corresponds to $7.20 in energy charges. Use the price on your own plan, not a national average or a figure from a different province or utility.
The word marginal matters. It means the price relevant to the extra electricity your stream uses, not automatically the average amount per kWh implied by dividing the entire bill by household consumption. An average bill figure may include fixed charges, other bill components and credits. It can be a rough sense-check, but it is not a substitute for the rate structure that determines the next unit.
Ontario is one example of why a location and plan must be named. The Ontario Energy Board electricity rates page listed, for prices set on 1 November 2025, time-of-use prices of 9.8¢/kWh off-peak, 15.7¢/kWh mid-peak and 20.3¢/kWh on-peak. The page also listed ultra-low-overnight and tiered plans. These are Ontario electricity-line prices for the specified plan and date, not an all-in rate for Canada and not necessarily the rates that apply when you read this. Check the current page and your own bill before using any figure.
The energy price is only one part of the decision to keep a home PC on. If you are also weighing how to keep a recorded stream running while your own computer is off, compare operating arrangements separately from the electricity calculation; this guide to starting a 24/7 Indian music YouTube stream from a cloud PC covers a different operating approach. That does not change the method for estimating a home PC’s consumption.
Adjust for time-of-use periods and tiers
With time-of-use billing, one flat multiplication can hide price variation across the day. A continuous stream uses electricity in each applicable period, so estimate its share of hours in each period, then apply that period’s rate:
Energy cost = (kWh in period A × rate A) + (kWh in period B × rate B) + …
If the PC draws roughly the same average power throughout, you can divide its monthly kWh according to the plan’s hours. If the load changes by time—for instance, you switch off a display during the day—use separate measurements or estimates for those periods. Use the actual schedule and rates shown by your utility. Do not assume that moving a stream overnight makes all of its energy cheaper, since a 24/7 stream also runs during other periods.
Ontario’s regulated plans show how the structure can differ. As listed by the Ontario Energy Board for 1 November 2025, its ultra-low-overnight plan had four period prices, including 3.9¢/kWh during the designated overnight period and 39.1¢/kWh during the designated weekday on-peak period. Those dated Ontario figures illustrate why timing can matter; they should not be used for another province or treated as current without checking the regulator’s page. An always-on load crosses the plan’s periods rather than using just the cheapest one.
Tiered billing requires a different adjustment. The rate for added consumption can depend on how much the household has already used and whether the next kWh crosses a threshold. Apply the stream’s kWh to the household’s likely monthly consumption, not to an empty account. If the stream pushes total use across a tier boundary, some of its energy may be charged at one rate and the remainder at another. Thresholds can also vary seasonally, so consult the current plan terms.
For a Toronto-specific example, Toronto Hydro’s rate information lists summer tier energy prices of 12.0¢/kWh for the first 600 kWh and 14.2¢/kWh above that threshold, effective from 1 May to 31 October 2026. Those are local Toronto details, not a national benchmark or a complete all-in household rate. A household already near the threshold could have a different marginal result from one whose total use remains below it. Check the current utility information and the consumption on your own bill.
Separate energy from the change in your full bill
Multiplying kWh by an energy rate estimates an energy component. It does not promise an exact change in the total amount due. Bills can include fixed customer charges, delivery and regulatory charges, taxes, rebates or credits, with details varying by utility and jurisdiction. Some charges may be fixed for the billing period; others may vary with consumption or be calculated in ways that do not match the simple energy-only multiplication.
Ontario illustrates the distinction. The Ontario Energy Board describes electricity pricing and Global Adjustment treatment, while Toronto Hydro explains local bill components such as delivery, regulatory charges, rebate and taxes. Toronto Hydro’s charges and bill treatment apply to its local customer context and should not be generalised to all Canadian households. A rebate or tax can also affect the final bill figure without changing the number of kWh the PC consumed.
To estimate the incremental bill more closely, compare a bill or utility calculator that reflects your specific plan and household context, and ask how variable charges are applied to added usage. Avoid taking all charges on the current bill, dividing by household kWh, and presenting that average as the cost of the stream. It blends fixed and variable items, and may misstate the amount attributable to additional consumption.
Keep two results in your notes: the measured or estimated kWh, and the estimated energy charge under your marginal plan rate. If the utility provides a bill calculator or a detailed rate schedule, use it to assess further variable bill effects. State assumptions plainly, including whether the figure is energy-only and whether the monitor included peripherals. That makes the estimate useful without pretending to forecast the exact bill.
Work through your own estimate
Use a short worksheet rather than searching for a supposedly typical Canadian PC price. First, record the average wall draw with the stream running, in watts. Next, list the continuously powered equipment included. Then calculate monthly kWh using the hours the setup actually operates. Finally, apply the appropriate price or prices from your plan and identify whether the result is energy-only.
For a plain flat-rate calculation, suppose your measured load is 100 W and your plan’s applicable marginal energy rate is $0.15/kWh. The 30-day energy is 72 kWh, so 72 × $0.15 = $10.80 in estimated energy charges. The rate in this example is illustrative, not a claim about a Canadian utility. The result is not an exact bill change, because other charges or credits may apply.
If your bill is time-of-use, divide the 72 kWh across the actual rate periods using the plan schedule and the stream’s operation. If it is tiered, look at the household’s likely total consumption and the current threshold before choosing the marginal price. If you cannot tell which rate applies, check the bill’s plan name and utility’s current explanation rather than substituting a rate from another location.
A practical comparison between two setups should use the same assumptions. Compare their average measured watts, the equipment included, the local marginal prices and billing structure, and whether each result is energy-only or intended to estimate a full bill change. If one computer measures 80 W with no display and another measures 120 W including a monitor, the figures are not directly comparable until the equipment boundary is made clear.
The stream settings themselves do not provide a reliable shortcut to the electrical estimate. YouTube’s official encoder settings guidance recommends choosing a quality reliable for your connection, testing before a live stream and monitoring stream health. Its bitrate recommendations describe what YouTube expects at ingest; they do not tell you how many watts your PC consumes. Measure the machine rather than converting bitrate into electricity use.
If a stream drops overnight, restoring it may matter more to your channel than small changes in bitrate, but this is separate from the energy arithmetic. You can also review ways to prevent OBS stopping a 24/7 sleep-sounds stream after an update when troubleshooting a home-PC workflow. That operational checklist does not establish a power draw or a savings figure.
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 electricity does a 100 W PC use in a month?
At a constant average wall draw of 100 W for 720 hours, it uses 72 kWh in a 30-day month. The cost depends on your plan’s applicable marginal price and any time-of-use or tier structure.
Can I use the power supply rating as the PC’s draw?
No. The rating describes capacity, not the computer’s measured consumption while running your stream. Use a suitable plug-in monitor or other reliable measurement of the complete load you intend to count.
Is the energy calculation the amount my bill will rise?
Not necessarily. It estimates the energy component; fixed charges, delivery and regulatory items, taxes, rebates or credits can affect the final bill, and some may not change directly with the extra kWh.
Does a higher YouTube bitrate mean the PC uses proportionally more electricity?
Not in a way you can calculate from bitrate alone. Stream settings and ingest guidance do not specify the PC’s wall draw, so measure the computer and included peripherals during the actual workload.