There is no single monthly electricity cost for a Raspberry Pi 5 streaming prerecorded videos to YouTube: it depends on the average draw of your complete setup at the wall and the electricity rate you pay. For a 30-day continuous run, multiply average watts by 0.72 and then by your price per kWh.
That gives you a useful estimate without mistaking a board specification or an illustrative scenario for a measurement of your own stream. Measure the Pi, power supply and attached equipment together, then substitute your bill’s rate.
Start with your setup and tariff
The calculation is straightforward: monthly cost = average watts ÷ 1,000 × hours operated × price per kWh. If you run continuously for 30 days, that is 720 hours, so the calculation becomes average watts × 0.72 × price per kWh. Use dollars for the rate if you want a result in dollars, or your local currency if the rate is quoted in that currency.
For example, if a meter shows an average of 5 W and your bill lists 20 pence per kWh, the estimate is 5 × 0.72 × £0.20, or £0.72 for those 30 days. This is an example of the arithmetic, not a claim about what a Pi 5 streaming setup draws. Replace both inputs with your own measured draw and tariff.
The formula assumes the draw is an average across the period. A device may use different amounts when starting, playing a file, encoding, reconnecting, or sitting idle. A plug-in energy meter that reports kWh over a representative period can account for those variations more directly than a brief instantaneous reading.
Measure the complete Pi 5 setup at the wall
Measure at the wall with the equipment connected as you actually intend to use it. Include the Raspberry Pi 5, its USB-C supply, and any USB storage, fan, HAT or other powered accessories. If your meter can record energy over time, let the setup operate under a representative streaming workload and record the kWh it reports. That result is the energy used during the measured period, rather than a guess based on one moment’s power draw.
Raspberry Pi’s Pi 5 hardware documentation gives approximate board power measurements and warns that additional USB devices and HATs can increase consumption. Those are useful hardware references, but they are not whole-system wall readings for your particular stream. The supply also uses some energy, and attached devices change the total.
Raspberry Pi recommends a 27 W USB-C supply for the Pi 5 in its getting-started documentation. That is a supply-capacity recommendation, not a statement that the computer continuously draws 27 W. Do not put the number from a power adapter’s label into the monthly formula as though it were measured consumption.
A wall meter is especially useful if you have added equipment or altered the cooling and storage arrangement. Keep the setup consistent during the measurement: same file, same attached devices, and the same intended operating mode. If you measure only the bare board and later add a USB drive, the result no longer describes the complete streaming setup.
Convert continuous operation into 30-day energy
A continuous 30-day period has 720 hours because 30 × 24 = 720. To convert average watts into kilowatt-hours, multiply by 720 and divide by 1,000. In symbols, monthly energy in kWh = average watts × 720 ÷ 1,000. Then multiply that energy by your price per kWh to estimate the electricity cost.
Here is the same calculation with a hypothetical 6 W average and a hypothetical tariff of 15 pence per kWh: 6 × 720 ÷ 1,000 = 4.32 kWh, then 4.32 × £0.15 = £0.648. Rounded to the nearest penny, that is about 65 pence. The rounded result is only as precise as the assumed inputs; a tariff or meter reading with more detail does not make an assumed draw into a measured one.
If your stream is not on all month, use its actual operating hours instead of 720. A planned daily schedule, a power cut, or a manual shutdown changes the energy total. If you want a full-month estimate before you have a month of data, first measure a typical period, calculate its average watts, and apply that average to the hours you expect to run.
You can also work backwards when you know your monthly electricity budget. Divide the budget by your rate per kWh to find the energy allowance, then divide that allowance by 0.72 to find the corresponding average watts for a 30-day continuous run. This is a planning calculation, not a target the device will automatically meet.
Use the 17.30¢/kWh example carefully
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a 2025 annual average residential electricity price of 17.30 cents per kWh in its 2026 publication of 2025 data. That is a dated U.S. example, not a universal electricity rate and not necessarily the rate on your current bill. The EIA’s electricity prices and factors page provides context, while its monthly electricity table can be used for a more specific U.S. comparison when its period and geography suit your needs.
At 17.30 cents per kWh, each continuous average watt corresponds to about 12.46 cents for 30 days. That follows from 0.72 kWh per watt per 30-day month multiplied by $0.173 per kWh. The result is arithmetic using the cited rate, not a separate published cost estimate for a Pi 5.
Rates differ by place and customer class. EIA’s 2025 figures ranged from 8.20 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 35.72 cents per kWh in Hawaii, which is one reason a national average should not stand in for a household bill. Outside the United States, do not convert this example into an estimate for your country. Use the rate and units shown on your own bill; if your bill has separate charges or time-of-use rates, check how the supplier defines the relevant energy price.
| Assumed average wall draw | Energy over 30 days at 720 hours | Cost at 17.30¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 2 W | 1.44 kWh | $0.25 |
| 4 W | 2.88 kWh | $0.50 |
| 6 W | 4.32 kWh | $0.75 |
| 10 W | 7.20 kWh | $1.25 |
The table is a sensitivity calculation. Its wattages are assumptions chosen to show how the formula behaves, not measurements of a Pi 5 playing or streaming video. The costs are rounded to the nearest cent and use only the EIA example rate; your own measured watts and local tariff may produce a different result.
Read the watt scenarios as assumptions
The 2 W, 4 W, 6 W and 10 W rows make it easy to see the effect of changing the input. At the stated example rate, moving from an assumed 2 W to an assumed 10 W changes the calculated cost from about $0.25 to about $1.25 for 30 days. The energy changes in the same proportion because the time period stays fixed. Nothing in that comparison says which, if any, of those draws applies to your equipment.
A Pi 5’s actual average depends on the complete system and workload. A prerecorded file may involve decoding, encoding, storage access and network activity; the details of the setup and the attached accessories matter. The scenario table does not settle those questions, and YouTube’s encoder guidance does not establish a measured power result for a particular Pi 5 configuration.
In its live encoder settings help, YouTube documents stream settings and supported encoder practices. It is a source for platform guidance, not evidence that a specific Pi 5 setup has been tested, certified or guaranteed for a given workflow. Keep the electricity calculation separate from the question of whether your encoder and stream configuration behave reliably.
For another perspective on the operating choices, a continuous FFmpeg YouTube stream guide discusses a 24/7 playback workflow, while the practical YouTube broken-pipe error guide covers a failure mode that can interrupt one. Those articles are relevant to running a stream, but neither should be read as a Pi 5 power measurement.
Replace assumptions with a measured value
A useful measurement should cover the process you intend to run, not merely a booted desktop or an idle menu. Start the same prerecorded video loop, use the intended encoder and output settings, and leave the attached equipment in place. Measure for long enough to include ordinary fluctuations. If your meter shows total kWh rather than average watts, divide the measured kWh by the hours in the measurement period, then multiply by 1,000 to obtain average watts.
For instance, if a meter reports 0.24 kWh over 48 hours, the average draw is 0.24 ÷ 48 × 1,000, or 5 W. Applying that average to 720 hours gives 3.6 kWh in a 30-day month. At a hypothetical 20 pence per kWh, that would cost 72 pence. The example demonstrates how to process a meter reading; it is not a test result for a Pi 5.
Check whether your bill quotes a single energy rate or a tariff that varies by time. With a variable rate, a simple monthly estimate can use the weighted average price for the hours the device operates, if you can obtain it. If you run the stream at all hours, use an appropriate full-day average rather than selecting the cheapest period. Standing charges are usually not caused by this one device, so do not add the entire household standing charge to its marginal running cost unless your question is the total bill rather than the extra electricity consumed.
Write down the measurement period, connected equipment, and the rate you used. That makes the estimate reproducible if you later add a drive or fan, switch the stream settings, or move the setup to another tariff. A measured value is not permanent: it describes that setup during that workload and period.
Keep electricity cost separate from stream reliability
Electricity cost is only one part of operating a 24/7 channel. A low energy estimate does not show whether the stream will reconnect after a network interruption, whether the video loop is configured correctly, or whether the live session will remain active. Likewise, a higher-than-expected meter reading is a prompt to inspect the setup, not evidence by itself that something is faulty.
If you are deciding between a local device and a different playback workflow, compare what each requires you to keep powered and what happens when your home internet or electricity is interrupted. For a Pi, consider whether you can check the device after a failed night and whether its storage and power arrangement suit continuous use. The VLC playlist setup for a 24/7 bhajan stream and the guide to scheduling playlist changes cover playback and scheduling decisions, not a promised uptime outcome.
Some operators prefer a local computer because they want direct control over files and playback. Others do not want their own computer left on or do not want to recover a stream after a local interruption. If that particular always-on-device burden is the problem, StreamNeo turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream that can run with your computer switched off, monitored and restarted automatically if it drops. It is YouTube-only, so it is not a fit if you need to broadcast to another platform or want to keep the complete playback process local.
For a local Pi setup, the simplest next step remains a wall measurement rather than a broad estimate from a product label. For any alternative, check what it actually supports and what operating tasks remain yours. Neither an electricity formula nor a platform setting promises a channel outcome.
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 it cost per month to run a Raspberry Pi 5 24/7?
There is no single amount without the complete setup’s average wall draw and your electricity rate. For 30 continuous days, calculate average watts × 0.72 × price per kWh, using the same currency in the rate and result.
How many kWh does a Pi 5 use in a month?
For a continuous 30-day month, multiply measured average watts by 0.72 to get kWh. For example, the arithmetic at an assumed 4 W is 2.88 kWh, but that assumption is not a measurement of a Pi 5 streaming setup.
Does streaming video make a Pi 5 use more power?
The workload can affect power use, and accessories can change the complete system’s draw. The scenario figures here do not quantify that effect; measure the setup while it runs the file and encoder you plan to use.
Can I use the 27 W power supply rating as the draw?
No. Raspberry Pi’s recommendation for a 27 W USB-C supply describes supply capacity, not continuous consumption. Use a wall meter on the complete operating setup for the draw input.