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Freedom251 › Blog › electricity cost

How to Estimate the Electricity Cost of Running a 24/7 YouTube Stream on a PC in India

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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To estimate what a 24/7 YouTube stream adds to your electricity bill, measure or estimate the average power draw of the equipment you will keep running, convert that draw into kilowatt-hours (kWh, often called units), and apply your own electricity tariff and billing rules. There is no single per-unit rate for all of India: charges depend on your utility, consumer category, tariff date and, where applicable, consumption slabs.

1. Decide which equipment to include

For a PC-only estimate, count the PC’s average power draw at the wall. For the full setup, include every device that will remain on for the stream, such as a monitor. State clearly what your estimate covers; a PC-only figure is not the cost of a PC-and-monitor setup.

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Do not use the wattage printed on a PC power supply as though the computer draws that amount continuously. It describes the supply’s capacity, not the PC’s actual average consumption during your streaming workload.

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2. Find the setup’s average power draw

Measure it at the wall when possible

A plug-in electricity usage monitor that records cumulative kWh can show the actual consumption of the connected equipment. Measure under representative streaming conditions and for long enough to capture changes in use. Check that any meter is compatible with your outlet and suitable for the voltage and load; if you want the whole setup’s consumption, make sure the devices you intend to count are included in the measurement. A manufacturer describes one example of this kind of meter, with stated 110–230 V support and regional plug options, but that does not establish its availability or suitability for every Indian setup: Climax Technology PSM-29.

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Estimate only when you cannot measure

If no meter is available, use a clearly identified estimate of average watts for the devices and workload you are counting. Treat the result as an estimate, not a published typical figure: no sourced statistic establishes the electricity use of a typical PC running a 24/7 YouTube stream. Keep the equipment and workload assumptions visible so you can replace the estimate with a measurement later.

3. Convert watts and runtime into monthly units

Use this formula for the billing period you want to estimate:

Monthly kWh = average watts × hours per day × days in billing period ÷ 1,000

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For a continuous stream, use 24 hours per day. For example, a hypothetical setup drawing an average of 100 W for 30 days would use 100 × 24 × 30 ÷ 1,000 = 72 kWh, or 72 units. This is an arithmetic example, not a reported PC-use statistic.

4. Apply your own tariff and billing rules

Use the current tariff for your electricity utility (DISCOM) and consumer category, checking its effective date and how it bills consumption. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) compiles tariff orders from State and Joint Electricity Regulatory Commissions and publishes tariff information with utility, effective-date, category and energy-charge context. Its tariff material also covers subsidy and electricity-duty data. Start with the CEA Financial Studies & Analysis Division and CEA Electricity Tariff & Duty report, then confirm the applicable rules with your utility or regulator.

Do not treat one rupee-per-unit figure as a national household rate. As one location-specific illustration, the Department of Electricity, Lakshadweep lists these energy charges for domestic LTDS-II in its FY 2026–27 schedule:

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Consumption slab Energy charge in the Lakshadweep FY 2026–27 schedule
0–100 units ₹3.55/kWh
101–200 units ₹5.30/kWh
201–300 units ₹7.70/kWh
301–400 units ₹10.05/kWh
Above 400 units ₹13.05/kWh
Fixed charge ₹25 per kW per month or part thereof

These figures apply to that schedule and category only; they are not a proxy for rates in other states or for other consumer categories. Check the Lakshadweep Department of Electricity schedule and your own current tariff for the applicable details.

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Estimate the energy charge, not automatically the whole bill

Multiply the estimated kWh by the relevant energy charge only after accounting for your tariff’s slab method. If the additional units push total household use into a higher slab, the bill impact may not equal the added kWh multiplied by a single rate. Fixed charges, duties, surcharges, subsidies and other adjustments can also affect the full bill.

For a purely hypothetical illustration, if 72 additional kWh were all charged at a hypothetical marginal energy charge of ₹6/kWh, the energy-charge arithmetic would be ₹432. That is not an India-wide rate or a prediction of the full bill increase.

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5. Estimate the increase by comparing like with like

To estimate the stream’s effect on your bill, compare two cases for the same billing period: your household’s estimated consumption without the streaming equipment, and consumption with its measured or estimated load added. Apply the same tariff and billing rules to both cases. This makes any slab change visible. Treat the result as an estimate; your actual bill depends on metered use and the applicable charges and adjustments.

Or let it run in the cloud

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electricity costIndiaPC power consumptionStreamNeoYouTube livestreaming

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