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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesMeasure the PC’s average power draw at the wall, then multiply its kilowatt use by the hours it runs and your electricity price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For a PC that stays on for a 30-day month, that is 720 hours. Your measured draw and your tariff—not a generic “streaming PC” wattage—determine the estimate.
Use this formula
Monthly energy cost = (average wall power in watts ÷ 1,000) × hours powered × electricity price per kWh. A watt (W) is a rate of electricity use; a kilowatt-hour is energy used over time. One kilowatt running for one hour uses one kWh. The kilowatt-hour is the most common unit for measuring electrical energy usage, according to a U.S. Department of Energy-hosted Duke Energy guide.
For a 30-day month of continuous operation, use 24 × 30 = 720 hours. For a more precise result, use the number of hours in your actual billing period; months vary in length.
Example calculation
Suppose your own measurement shows an average of 150 W at the wall, your PC runs for 720 hours, and your bill’s energy rate is $0.20 per kWh:
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(150 ÷ 1,000) × 720 × $0.20 = $21.60 in estimated energy charges for the period. This is an illustration, not a claim about typical streaming-PC power or a recommended electricity rate.
Measure the power your setup actually uses
Use the average wall draw while the PC is doing the work you intend to run continuously. Include the streaming software, game or scene, resolution and frame rate, and other applications you normally leave open. A PC’s power use changes with its workload, so a momentary reading may not represent a full stream.
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- Set up the representative workload. Use the encoder, content, output settings, and other applications you expect to run. YouTube’s encoder guidance ties recommended stream settings to resolution, frame rate, and codec, and advises choosing a quality that works reliably with your internet connection. Those settings help define the workload to reproduce; they do not specify the PC’s electricity use.
- Measure at the wall over time. Use a suitable meter’s average-power reading, if available. Otherwise, record energy used over a representative interval and divide that energy by the elapsed hours to get average power. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) recommends measuring fluctuating power over a period and dividing by the measurement period to determine average power; see its guidance on measuring standby power.
- Use watts as the formula input. If the meter reports kilowatts, multiply by 1,000 to convert to watts. Do not use the power supply’s maximum capacity or a component’s advertised maximum as a substitute for measured average draw.
If you do not have a meter, an optional plug-in electricity usage monitor may help measure the setup. FEMP discusses instrument resolution for standby-power measurement; it does not endorse a particular consumer model or establish the accuracy of any specific device.
Decide what equipment the estimate includes
A PC-only calculation covers the tower, not necessarily the full streaming station. If you want the whole setup’s energy cost, include the devices you intend to count, such as displays, lights, cameras, capture devices, audio equipment, and network gear. YouTube notes that encoder setups can use external audio and video hardware in its computer live-streaming tips.
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Where practical, measure the station’s devices together. If that is not possible, measure them separately and add their energy use—or their average power when they run for the same number of hours—before applying the formula. Be clear in your notes whether your result is for the tower or the wider setup.
Use the right electricity rate
Find the applicable energy price on your electricity bill or tariff, expressed per kWh, and use the rate that applies to the period and location where the PC will run. Rates may vary by time of use or season. If yours does, calculate the energy cost separately for each relevant time period when practical, then add the results. The DOE/FEMP explains the distinction between energy charges, demand charges, and fixed monthly charges in Evaluating Your Utility Rate Options.
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The formula estimates energy charges, not every element of the bill. A fixed monthly fee ordinarily does not change because this PC is running; demand charges depend on your account’s rate structure and may not be captured by multiplying the PC’s energy use by a per-kWh rate.
For context only, DOE/FEMP used 11¢/kWh as the average electricity price at federal facilities as of July 2024 in annual-cost examples for computers. That is a dated federal-facility assumption, not a current universal household rate; use your own tariff instead. See Purchasing Energy-Efficient Computers.
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Compare setups on equal terms
To compare two PCs or operating choices fairly, measure each under the same workload and settings. Keep the hours, included devices, and applicable electricity rate consistent; if the rate changes by time, account for when each setup runs. There is no single official wattage or monthly electricity cost for an always-on YouTube streaming PC: YouTube’s published encoder guidance describes stream configuration, not PC power consumption.
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