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How to Include Router and Modem Power in a 24/7 YouTube Stream Cost Estimate

Calculate the electricity cost of a router and modem running around the clock, keep network costs separate from the full stream setup, and account for device-specific power draw.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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To estimate the electricity cost of keeping network equipment powered for a 24/7 YouTube stream, calculate the router and modem separately: divide each device’s watts by 1,000, multiply by its hours of operation, then multiply the resulting kilowatt-hours (kWh) by your electricity rate. Add the two costs for a network-equipment subtotal. If you want the cost of the whole streaming setup, add the computer and any other equipment as separate loads.

Calculate router and modem electricity use

Watts measure power at a point in time; kWh measure energy used over time. For each device that stays on continuously, use:

Energy (kWh) = power (W) ÷ 1,000 × operating hours

Cost = energy (kWh) × your electricity price per kWh

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  1. Find the router’s and modem’s power draw in watts. Use the device specification or, if needed, measure it with a plug-in electricity usage monitor.
  2. Calculate each device’s kWh for the period you care about. For continuous daily operation, use 24 hours; for a 365-day year, use 8,760 hours.
  3. Multiply each device’s kWh by the applicable electricity rate from your bill or tariff.
  4. Add the router and modem costs to get the network-equipment subtotal.

For a monthly figure, state how many days you assumed or use the actual number of days in the billing period. You can calculate each device’s cost separately and add the results, or add the devices’ energy first and apply the rate once.

Worked example: a 10 W router

Greater Shepparton City Council’s energy guide uses a 10 W router as an illustrative example: 10 W ÷ 1,000 × 24 hours = 0.24 kWh per day. If your electricity price is R currency units per kWh, that example costs 0.24 × R currency units per day. The 10 W figure is an example, not a claim about every router. Greater Shepparton City Council energy guide

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To estimate router and modem together, repeat the calculation for the modem using its own wattage, then add the two kWh figures or costs. Do not use the router example as a substitute for the modem’s actual draw.

Find a realistic wattage for each device

There is no single wattage that applies to all routers and modems. Model, configuration and operating state matter, and a manufacturer’s idle or ready-state figure is not necessarily what a device uses during a live stream.

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Use model-specific figures carefully

TP-Link’s 2025 small network equipment information lists idle power of 2.86 W for the Archer A54, 6.64 W for the Archer AX20 and 17.83 W for the Archer AXE300. These are manufacturer-reported figures for specific router models under voluntary-agreement procedures—not measurements of every unit’s consumption during active streaming, and not modem figures. TP-Link’s 2025 idle-power information

Comcast’s internet-equipment page publishes ready-state power data and says an individual device’s energy use can vary. Its table is described as measured under voluntary-agreement procedures and updated quarterly. Treat its figures as applying to the equipment and state shown, rather than as a universal value for your setup. Comcast: Energy usage of your internet equipment

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Check the label, documentation or measured draw

Input power is usually listed in manufacturer information or on packaging, according to Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. A listed input-power figure can help estimate consumption, but do not present an estimate as a measurement. Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Energy Ratings

If a device’s actual draw is unclear, a plug-in electricity usage monitor is one option for establishing wattage. The Greater Shepparton City Council guide notes that simple devices with fairly consistent energy use can be measured in watts. A reading is useful only when you identify what it represents; do not label an idle reading as active-stream consumption.

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Handle gateways and the full streaming setup correctly

  • Separate router and modem: calculate each one, then add them. This keeps the network subtotal transparent.
  • Combined router/modem gateway: count the all-in-one device once. Do not add separate router and modem figures for hardware that is a single unit.
  • Whole setup estimate: add the computer and any other powered equipment as separate loads. Keep those costs distinct from the router/modem subtotal so readers can see what network equipment alone contributes.

For a fair comparison between devices or setups, use the same operating period and electricity rate, and compare figures that represent the same state—such as idle with idle or ready with ready. A manufacturer’s idle value should not be described as a measurement during live streaming.

Use your own electricity rate and currency

There is no universal cost per day or year: electricity prices and currencies depend on location and tariff. Use the price per kWh that applies to your bill. For annual running costs, the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water recommends multiplying annual kWh by the electricity rate. Energy Ratings

For example, once you have a device’s annual kWh, multiply it by your rate per kWh to estimate its annual cost. If you publish a sample cost for a particular place, identify its currency, geography, source and date; otherwise, leave the rate as a variable rather than implying one price applies everywhere.

Troubleshoot an estimate that seems off

  • The cost seems too high: check that watts were divided by 1,000 before calculating kWh, and that you multiplied by the rate per kWh—not by a rate expressed in another unit.
  • The monthly figure does not match the bill period: confirm the day-count assumption. A month is not always the same number of days.
  • The router/modem subtotal looks inflated: check whether you counted a combined gateway twice or included the computer in the network subtotal.
  • Two published figures disagree: compare model and operating state. Idle, ready and active operation are not interchangeable, and a figure for one model does not establish another’s draw.
  • You cannot find a reliable device wattage: label the result as approximate or measure the draw with a plug-in electricity usage monitor; do not imply an estimate is a measured value.

Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live 24/7 with uploaded videos, StreamNeo runs the stream in the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. You upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It streams the files as uploaded, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; it can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free day.

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