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To estimate an always-on OBS stream’s electricity cost, measure the average wall power of the equipment that stays on, calculate its monthly kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For a 30-day month, every 1 watt of continuous average draw uses 0.72 kWh. OBS itself does not have one standard power draw: the computer, workload, attached equipment and local tariff determine the result.
Use this formula for your setup
Include the computer running OBS and any monitors or peripherals that remain powered for the stream. If you have the setup’s average power draw in watts (P), the hours it runs each day (H), and the number of days (D), calculate:
- Monthly energy: P × H × D ÷ 1,000 = kilowatt-hours (kWh).
- Estimated energy charge: monthly kWh × your applicable price per kWh.
For 24/7 operation during a 30-day month, H = 24 and D = 30, so monthly energy is P × 0.72 kWh. Utilities generally measure electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours; one kWh is one kilowatt used for one hour. The U.S. Energy Information Administration explains how electricity is measured.
Example with an explicitly hypothetical draw and rate
If the complete setup averaged 100 W at the wall for 24 hours a day over 30 days, it would use 72 kWh. At a hypothetical rate of $0.20 per kWh, the estimated energy charge would be $14.40. These are example inputs, not a typical OBS wattage or a measured result; replace both with your own figures.
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Measure the equipment that will actually stay on
The most useful input is average wall draw while the setup is doing representative streaming work. A computer’s power-supply rating describes its rated output capacity, not the electricity the complete system draws from the wall. OBS’s official knowledge base does not establish a representative wattage for an always-on stream, and no single OBS setting translates into a standard power draw. See the OBS Project knowledge base.
Use a plug-in electricity monitor if you do not know the draw
- Connect the equipment you want to include through a plug-in electricity usage monitor that displays cumulative kWh.
- Run the setup through representative streaming activity. Include monitors or peripherals only if they will also remain powered during the stream.
- For fluctuating use, measure energy over a period and divide the kWh consumed by the hours measured. Multiply the resulting average kW by 1,000 to get average watts.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) advises measuring over time when power fluctuates to determine average power; stable power can be read directly. Read DOE FEMP’s measurement guidance. If you compare two setups, keep the workload, included devices, measurement period and operating hours consistent.
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Use the rate that applies to your electricity use
Use the marginal energy rate on your utility bill or rate schedule for the hours when the stream will run. Energy prices can vary by time of use or season. A bill can also include demand and fixed charges, so the formula estimates the energy component; it does not predict that the complete bill will rise by that exact amount. DOE FEMP explains utility rate options.
For context only, DOE FEMP used 11¢/kWh—the average electricity price at federal facilities as of July 2024—in its monitor cost assumptions. That dated federal-facility figure is not a universal or current residential rate. See DOE FEMP’s display and monitor purchasing guidance.
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Reduce avoidable power use without disrupting the stream
If a networked computer must stay on for streaming, check whether a display that is not needed can be turned off. DOE computer guidance recommends power management and turning off an unnecessary monitor when the computer must remain on for another task. Keep a display on if it is needed to operate or monitor your production setup. Read DOE FEMP’s computer guidance.
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