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Using an illustrative estimate of 120–200 watts at the wall and a marginal electricity rate of ₹7–₹8 per kWh, running a desktop PC continuously for 30 days costs about ₹605–₹1,152 in PC electricity alone. That is a scenario, not a measured average for second-hand PCs or a bill prediction for every Indian household. For a closer figure, measure your whole computer’s average power draw while it is streaming and use the marginal rate on your own electricity bill.
How the 30-day electricity estimate is calculated
A 30-day month contains 720 hours. The calculation is average power in kilowatts × hours × your marginal electricity rate per kWh.
| Assumed average draw | Energy in 720 hours | At ₹7/kWh | 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 |
Rounded to whole rupees, the scenario is approximately ₹605–₹1,152 per 30 days. StreamNeo’s 2026 cost guide uses 120–200 W and ₹7–₹8/kWh as assumptions for this example; it is not an independent test of a particular computer. StreamNeo’s 24/7 streaming cost guide recommends replacing both assumptions with your own readings and bill.
Why your actual Indian electricity bill may differ
There is no single household rate that can reliably be applied across India. Retail tariffs are set by state electricity regulatory commissions, and state governments may subsidize some domestic consumers. Your state, utility, consumer category, slab position, subsidy, duties and any applicable time-of-day tariff can affect the marginal cost of additional consumption. The Ministry of Power describes this state-level tariff and subsidy framework in its August 10, 2026 release. The Central Electricity Authority lists its Tariff and Duty of Electricity Supply in India-March 2026 publication, but the landing page alone does not establish a rate representative of every home: CEA tariff and duty publication page.
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This estimate is an incremental energy-charge calculation for the PC. It excludes fixed charges, duties, monitor and router use, UPS conversion losses, broadband, repairs, replacement parts and outage costs. A slab-based bill or other billing elements can also make the final bill change differ from a simple multiplication.
How to calculate your PC’s own monthly cost
- Measure the complete computer at the wall. Use a plug-in electricity meter while the PC is running the intended streaming workload, and note its average watts over a representative period. The PC’s power-supply rating is not its actual consumption.
- Convert watts to kilowatts. Divide the measured average watts by 1,000. For example, 150 W becomes 0.150 kW.
- Multiply by runtime. For a 30-day continuous stream, multiply the kilowatts by 720 hours. At 150 W, that is 0.150 × 720 = 108 kWh.
- Apply your marginal rate. Use the relevant per-kWh charge for additional usage from your current bill or utility tariff, accounting for your household’s slab and applicable adjustments. At an assumed ₹7/kWh, 108 kWh would cost ₹756 in energy charges.
For a personalized estimate, the important inputs are your state or utility, the PC’s measured average wall draw, and the applicable marginal rate. There is no established national statistic for the average draw of second-hand PCs running YouTube music streams in India.
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Remember the connection and the rest of the setup
The electricity figure is not the total cost of keeping a 24/7 stream available. Broadband, backup power, equipment wear and maintenance can matter. Do not assume a lower video resolution will reduce your broadband fee; that depends on your plan. It may, however, reduce the upload bitrate required for the stream.
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YouTube advises matching stream quality to the reliability of the internet connection, checking upload speed, testing before going live and monitoring stream health. Its encoder guidance recommends H.264 bitrates of 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 a guarantee that a particular home connection can sustain them. See YouTube’s live encoder settings and bitrate guidance.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If you would rather not leave a second-hand PC running at home, StreamNeo keeps an uploaded video or playlist streaming to YouTube from the cloud. The basic flow is: upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, then go live. Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream, and the uploaded video streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot rather than quality tiers.
The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. UPI and cards are available in India; card checkout is available worldwide. StreamNeo is for YouTube streams of uploaded videos, not camera broadcasts. See StreamNeo for details, or start your free first day.
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