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How much your bill rises depends on your desktop’s average power draw while the playlist is playing and your electricity rate. Calculate it as: (average watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × price per kWh. For continuous use over a 30-day month, use 720 hours. A plug-in electricity monitor can measure the computer at the wall while it plays; the power supply’s wattage rating is not its actual consumption.
Calculate the monthly electricity cost
First estimate or measure the computer’s average draw in watts, convert that figure to kilowatts, and multiply by playback hours and your marginal electricity charge per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Monthly cost = (average watts ÷ 1,000) × hours in the month × dollars per kWh
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For a 24/7 playlist, a 30-day month has 720 hours; a 365-day year has 8,760. At a constant 100 W, for example, 100 ÷ 1,000 × 720 = 72 kWh in 30 days. That is an arithmetic example, not a claim that a typical desktop draws 100 W.
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Measure your own setup
Use a plug-in electricity usage monitor to measure the computer’s wall draw during representative playlist playback. Keep the setup consistent with how you actually use it: the same computer, playback settings, and connected equipment. Check whether the meter includes only the computer or also a monitor and other peripherals. Multiply measured kWh by the marginal energy rate on your bill; fixed fees generally do not change simply because playback runs longer.
Microsoft’s 2011 guide describes using a P3 International Kill A Watt P4400 to measure a PC. A meter supplies a personalized input; it does not save electricity by itself. Microsoft Windows Experience Blog: Measuring and reducing your PC’s electricity cost.
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What an example can—and cannot—tell you
In a 2011 measurement of one older PC (Intel Q9550, 8 GB RAM, 7200 RPM hard drive, GeForce 8400GS), Microsoft reported 102 W at idle, 4 W in S3 sleep, and 165 W under 100% CPU load. The measurements covered the system, not peripherals such as a monitor. The 102 W idle result was a baseline, not a YouTube playback test, and the article cautioned that another system could use a different amount.
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For context, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports a preliminary 2025 average residential rate of 17.30¢/kWh, based on Electric Power Monthly tables published in February 2026. Applying that rate to the historical 73.44 kWh example gives about $12.71 per 30 days. This is an illustration using an old PC’s idle measurement, not a current YouTube test or a forecast for your desktop. The EIA reports a 2025 state annual-average range from 8.20¢/kWh in North Dakota to 35.72¢/kWh in Hawaii; use the rate on your own bill for a relevant estimate. The 2025 average across all U.S. retail customer types was 13.63¢/kWh, which is not the residential average. U.S. Energy Information Administration: Prices and factors affecting prices.
What changes the result
- Actual computer draw: Hardware, power settings, graphics activity, and workload affect watts. A desktop’s power supply rating is its capacity, not a reading of continuous use.
- What the meter includes: A monitor, speakers, or other peripherals add to total wall use if they remain on. Measure them too if you want the cost of the entire setup.
- Hours running: Use actual hours if the playlist is not truly continuous; at 24 hours daily, a 30-day month is 720 hours.
- Your marginal rate: Rates vary by location and plan. Use the per-kWh charge that applies to additional consumption on your bill rather than assuming a national average applies to you.
Reduce power use when uninterrupted playback is unnecessary
If the playlist does not need to keep playing, shut the desktop down or use sleep during idle periods. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends the shortest power-management timeout and lowest power mode compatible with the task, and says sleep and off modes will not shorten computer life. A sleeping computer will interrupt playback, so this is not suitable while the playlist must stay live.
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DOE’s 2026 guidance says leaving power-saving mode enabled can reduce computer energy use by up to 27% annually; this is not a YouTube-specific estimate. ENERGY STAR says power management on a certified desktop can save an office or home office $15 per year; that figure is also not specific to continuous playlist playback. ENERGY STAR’s computer criteria effective October 2025 require display sleep within 15 minutes and system sleep within 30 minutes under specified inactivity conditions. DOE FEMP: Purchasing Energy-Efficient Computers · ENERGY STAR: Computers.
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