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A useful published benchmark puts a laptop streaming video at an estimated 22 watts. If a laptop averaged that draw continuously, it would use about 0.528 kWh per day or 15.84 kWh in 30 days. At an illustrative electricity rate of $0.15 per kWh, that is about $0.08 per day or $2.38 per 30-day month. These are calculations from an estimate—not a current measurement of every laptop streaming YouTube. Your actual cost depends on the laptop’s average wall draw, what it would use otherwise, and your electricity tariff.
How much electricity does a 24/7 YouTube stream use?
The Carbon Trust’s 2021 appendix gives an estimated laptop streaming power draw of 22 W, attributed to Singh et al. (2019). It is a useful benchmark, not a controlled test of every laptop, YouTube stream, or current setup. Carbon Trust, Carbon impact of video streaming — Appendix.
Applying that estimate to continuous use:
| Period | Energy at an average 22 W | Cost at an assumed $0.15/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | 0.528 kWh | About $0.079 |
| 30 days | 15.84 kWh | About $2.38 |
The $0.15/kWh rate is only an example, not a typical or universal tariff. Use the per-kWh rate on your own bill. The 30-day month is a convenient calculation period.
Calculate your own power-bill increase
Use average power in watts, not the laptop adapter’s maximum rated wattage. The basic calculation is:
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kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000
cost = kWh × your electricity price per kWh
To estimate only the extra electricity attributable to playback, compare playback with the laptop’s ordinary baseline—such as idle or your normal use:
incremental kWh = (playback watts − baseline watts) × hours ÷ 1,000
incremental cost = incremental kWh × your tariff
For example, the 22 W benchmark estimates total playback draw; it does not tell you the difference between playback and idle on your laptop. The sources do not establish a universal idle-versus-YouTube difference, so measure both states if you need the incremental cost rather than the full playback cost.
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Measure at the wall for a better estimate
- Use a plug-in electricity meter if you have one. It is optional; it is not necessary to calculate from a published estimate.
- Measure the combined laptop-and-adapter load during representative playback, and note the average watts. A wall measurement includes adapter conversion losses.
- Measure the laptop in the baseline state you want to compare against, using the same setup and measurement method.
- Subtract baseline watts from playback watts, then apply the incremental formulas above for your planned hours and tariff.
Results can shift with screen brightness, video settings, hardware, network activity, and background tasks. Microsoft’s Windows local-video playback assessment recommends consistent test conditions and describes a controlled setup that includes a 150-nit screen setting. That is a testing reference, not a promise that a YouTube stream will draw the same power. Microsoft Learn: Local Video Playback.
What happens to the battery if the stream runs all day?
Running on battery
Continuous playback will eventually drain a laptop battery, but there is no responsible single runtime estimate without the laptop’s usable battery capacity and its actual average power draw. A rough calculation is:
runtime in hours ≈ usable battery capacity in Wh ÷ average draw in W
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Actual runtime varies. ASUS notes that discharge depends on system design, software operations, and power-management settings; video playback may use more power than general word processing. ASUS Notebook Battery Information Center.
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Running while plugged in
The available manufacturer guidance does not establish a universal amount of battery damage from leaving any laptop plugged in during continuous streaming. Battery-management features vary by model. ASUS describes charge-protection behavior on some systems, but it does not quantify battery aging from a 24/7 YouTube schedule. Check support guidance for your exact model and use a built-in charge limit if one is available. Keep the laptop’s airflow unobstructed as ordinary device care.
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Keep a YouTube stream running without leaving a laptop on
If the goal is an always-on YouTube channel rather than testing your laptop’s consumption, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos from the cloud; it does not stream from a camera. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The cloud keeps looping the uploaded content, so your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. See StreamNeo.
Each slot includes one always-on stream, 10 GB of storage per slot pooled across active slots, looping and playlists, automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream, and StreamNeo team support. Uploaded content streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encode and no quality tiers. The first day is free with no card, once per account. The service is YouTube-only.
There is one flat price per slot; the product is the same across plans and only the duration changes:
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- Daily: $0.99 per day
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Billing can be for a day, week, month, six months, or year, and you can cancel any time. UPI and cards are available in India; card checkout is available worldwide. Contact support about five or more slots.
Or let it run in the cloud
- Upload your recording or create a playlist.
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Nothing has to stay on at home. Uploaded video streams at its original quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price per slot, and StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month.
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Start your free StreamNeo day.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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