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A Raspberry Pi 5 running continuously for 30 days uses 0.72 kWh for every watt of average wall-power draw. At the U.S. 2025 average residential rate of 17.30¢ per kWh, that works out to about $0.25 a month at 2 W, $0.50 at 4 W, $0.75 at 6 W, or $1.25 at 10 W. These are calculation scenarios, not measured Raspberry Pi 5 streaming results. Your actual bill depends on the complete setup’s average power draw and your local electricity tariff.
How to calculate the monthly electricity cost
Use this formula:
Monthly cost = average watts ÷ 1,000 × operating hours × electricity price per kWh
For a 30-day month running 24 hours a day, the system operates for 720 hours. The formula simplifies to:
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Monthly cost = average watts × 0.72 × price per kWh
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For example, a setup averaging 4 W uses 4 × 720 ÷ 1,000 = 2.88 kWh in 30 days. Multiply 2.88 by the per-kWh price on your bill to estimate its electricity cost.
Example costs at a U.S. electricity rate
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a 2025 annual average residential electricity price of 17.30¢ per kWh in a 2026 publication. Applying that rate to different assumed average wall draws gives these approximate 30-day costs:
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| Assumed average wall draw | Energy used in 30 days | Cost at 17.30¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 2 W | 1.44 kWh | $0.25 |
| 4 W | 2.88 kWh | $0.50 |
| 6 W | 4.32 kWh | $0.75 |
| 10 W | 7.20 kWh | $1.25 |
These are arithmetic examples, not a claim that a Raspberry Pi 5 streaming setup draws a particular number of watts. At this rate, each watt of continuous average wall draw adds about 12.46 cents to a 30-day bill. Electricity prices vary substantially: EIA’s 2025 state averages ranged from 8.20¢/kWh in North Dakota to 35.72¢/kWh in Hawaii. Use the rate applicable to your household, not the national example.
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The Pi’s documented figures are not a wall-meter reading
Raspberry Pi’s hardware documentation gives a typical bare-board active current of 800 mA and lists approximate measurements for particular workloads, including H.264 video playback. Multiplying 0.8 A by the nominal 5.1 V supply voltage gives about 4.1 W, but that is an illustrative DC-side conversion—not a verified wall draw for a Pi 5 streaming prerecorded video. It excludes power-supply losses and attached equipment.
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Raspberry Pi cautions that its power measurements are approximate and do not include additional USB devices; connected devices or a HAT can raise consumption. A video-playback measurement also does not establish the draw of a particular livestreaming workload.
Power supply capacity is not consumption
Raspberry Pi recommends a 27 W USB-C power supply for Pi 5. That is the supply’s capacity recommendation, not evidence that the computer continuously uses 27 W. The correct supply and cable matter for reliable operation, while peripherals and workload affect the actual total draw.
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Streaming workload and peripherals matter
Actual consumption can depend on the video workload and on equipment such as USB storage, a cooling fan, a HAT, or other powered accessories. YouTube’s live-encoder guidance specifies platform settings and supported codecs, but it does not establish that a particular Raspberry Pi 5 configuration is tested, certified, or guaranteed to run a given prerecorded-video streaming workflow.
Measure your own setup for a better estimate
- Connect the complete streaming setup to a plug-in electricity meter. Include the Pi, power supply, storage, fan, HAT, and any other equipment that will actually run with it.
- Run it under representative conditions. Measure while the intended video and streaming workflow are operating, rather than relying on a bare-board figure or the power supply’s rated capacity.
- Record energy use in kWh over a representative period. A meter’s accumulated kWh reading captures changes in draw over that period.
- Multiply the measured kWh by your electricity price. Use the per-kWh tariff on your bill, accounting for the applicable customer class and any relevant rate period.
- Scale to a month if needed. If you measured over fewer than 30 days, divide the measured kWh by the number of measured days and multiply by 30, then apply your per-kWh rate.
EIA publishes monthly electricity prices by state and customer sector; when comparing its figures, check the state, customer class, data month, and release date. Your own bill is usually the most relevant input for a household estimate.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is simply to keep prerecorded videos live on YouTube, a Raspberry Pi is not the only option. StreamNeo runs the loop in the cloud: upload your video or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Your computer and home internet connection do not need to stay on. It streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start the free day.
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