A 24/7 YouTube study-music stream running on a second-hand desktop could use about 86.4–144 kWh in 30 days. At an illustrative marginal electricity rate of ₹7–₹8 per kWh, that is roughly ₹605–₹1,152 for the PC’s electricity alone. This is a worked scenario—not a measured average for used PCs or a standard Indian tariff. For a reliable estimate, measure the computer’s actual wall draw and use the marginal rate on your own electricity bill.
How the 30-day electricity estimate is calculated
A 30-day month has 720 hours. Multiply the computer’s average power draw in kilowatts by 720, then multiply the resulting kilowatt-hours by your marginal electricity rate.
| Assumed average draw at the wall | Energy in 720 hours | Cost at ₹7/kWh | Cost at ₹8/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 W (0.120 kW) | 86.4 kWh | ₹604.80 | ₹691.20 |
| 200 W (0.200 kW) | 144 kWh | ₹1,008 | ₹1,152 |
The 120–200 W draw and ₹7–₹8/kWh rate are assumptions in StreamNeo’s 2026 cost scenario, which reports the rounded range of ₹605–₹1,152 per 30 days. They are not results from testing a specific second-hand PC, nor an established national average for computers streaming music. StreamNeo’s 24/7 YouTube streaming cost guide explains the illustrative case.
Why your Indian electricity bill may differ
There is no single household rate to apply across India. The Ministry of Power says state electricity regulatory commissions determine retail tariffs, while state governments may subsidize some consumer classes, including domestic users. Your marginal cost can depend on your state and utility, household category, slab position, subsidy, duties and any applicable time-of-day tariff. The Central Electricity Authority lists a March 2026 edition of its Tariff and Duty of Electricity Supply in India, but its landing page does not establish one rate as representative of every home.
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For a personalized figure, use the incremental energy price relevant to your household—not an assumed national average. A slab-based bill or other charges can also mean that multiplying by a simple rate will not exactly predict the change in your final bill. See the Ministry of Power’s explanation of electricity tariffs and affordability and the CEA tariff and duty reports.
How to estimate your own PC’s monthly electricity cost
- Measure the whole desktop at the wall. Use a plug-in electricity meter and measure while the PC is doing the work you intend to run continuously. A power-supply label describes capacity, not the computer’s average draw. Include the computer in the measurement; if it will run through a UPS, account separately for the UPS’s conversion losses.
- Use the average watts. If the meter reports energy over a representative period, divide the measured watt-hours by the number of hours to get average watts. Continuous streaming can vary with the PC and its workload, so a brief idle reading may not represent an entire month.
- Convert watts to monthly energy. For a 30-day month, calculate
(average watts ÷ 1,000) × 720. For example, a measured average of 150 W gives 108 kWh. - Apply your marginal rate. Multiply the monthly kWh by the applicable incremental ₹/kWh rate from your current bill or tariff schedule. With a 150 W average and an illustrative ₹7–₹8/kWh, the PC-only calculation is ₹756–₹864 for 30 days.
What this estimate excludes
The ₹605–₹1,152 scenario covers desktop electricity only. It does not include a monitor, router, UPS losses, broadband, repairs, replacement parts, outages or other charges on the electricity bill. To compare the true cost of keeping a channel live, add the equipment and connectivity costs that apply to your setup; the available figures do not establish a complete cost comparison between a used PC, a VPS and managed streaming services.
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Keeping a YouTube stream stable is part of the cost decision
A low electricity estimate is useful only if the setup can sustain the stream. YouTube advises choosing stream quality to suit the reliability of the internet connection, checking upload speed, testing before going live and monitoring stream health. Its H.264 recommendations include 4 Mbps for 480p at 30 fps, 8 Mbps for 720p at 30 fps and 14 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps. These are platform recommendations for those settings, not guarantees that a particular home connection can sustain them. A lower resolution can reduce the required upload bitrate, but it does not by itself establish that your broadband bill will fall.
For encoder details and current guidance, consult YouTube’s live encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions. The decision to run a PC at home should account for measured wall draw, upload reliability, power or network interruptions, and the maintenance involved—not electricity alone.
Rank #3
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Or let it run in the cloud
If you would rather not keep a second-hand computer running at home, StreamNeo keeps an uploaded video or playlist looping as a 24/7 YouTube stream from the cloud:
- Upload a recording or build a playlist.
- Add your YouTube stream key once.
- Go live; StreamNeo loops the content from the cloud.
Nothing has to stay powered on at home. Every slot streams the uploaded file as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; StreamNeo does not re-encode it or use quality tiers. It can recover automatically if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card required, one free day per account. The monthly option is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded video rather than going live from a camera, and streams to YouTube only. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free day.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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