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A 24/7 study-music stream running on a second-hand desktop could use about 86.4–144 kWh in a 30-day month and cost roughly ₹605–₹1,152 in PC electricity alone. That estimate assumes the computer averages 120–200 W at the wall and electricity costs ₹7–₹8 per kWh; neither figure is a measured average for used PCs or a universal Indian tariff. Your actual cost depends on the computer’s measured draw and your household’s marginal electricity rate.
How the monthly estimate is calculated
A 30-day month contains 720 hours. Multiply the computer’s average power draw in kilowatts by 720, then multiply the resulting kilowatt-hours by your applicable marginal rate.
| Average PC draw | Energy in 720 hours | Cost at ₹7/kWh | Cost 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 |
The resulting rounded scenario range is about ₹605–₹1,152 per 30 days for desktop electricity. It is a worked estimate published by StreamNeo in 2026, based on assumed wattage and rates, not a test of a particular second-hand machine or a published statistic for Indian study-music streamers. StreamNeo’s 24/7 YouTube streaming cost guide describes the scenario.
What this estimate includes—and what it leaves out
The range covers the desktop’s electricity use only. It does not include a monitor, router, UPS conversion losses, broadband, repairs, replacement parts, or costs associated with outages. It is also not a prediction of the exact change on a household bill: fixed charges, duties, subsidies and tariff slabs can affect the total.
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India does not have one household electricity price that applies to every reader. State electricity regulatory commissions set retail tariffs, and state governments may subsidize some domestic consumers. Utility, state, consumer category, slab position and any applicable time-of-day tariff can all affect the marginal cost. The Central Electricity Authority lists a March 2026 edition of its Tariff and Duty of Electricity Supply in India, but the published scenario should not be treated as a nationwide tariff. See the CEA tariff and duty publication page and the Ministry of Power’s 2026-08-10 explanation of tariff-setting and affordability.
How to estimate your own PC’s electricity cost
- Measure the whole desktop at the wall. Use a plug-in electricity meter while the PC is doing the work you intend to run continuously, including playback and streaming. A power-supply label describes capacity, not the machine’s actual average draw. For a closer estimate, use the average watts shown by the meter over a representative period.
- Find your marginal energy rate. Use the relevant per-kWh charge on your current household bill, accounting for the tariff category and slab that apply to additional consumption. If your bill has subsidies, duties or time-of-day rates, use the rate that reflects your likely added units rather than assuming a national average.
- Apply the 30-day formula. Calculate
average watts ÷ 1,000 × 720 × marginal ₹/kWh. For example, at 150 W and ₹7.50/kWh, the calculation is 0.150 × 720 × 7.50 = ₹810 for 30 days of PC electricity. - Measure other always-on equipment separately. If you want a broader operating-cost estimate, include the monitor, router or UPS losses as appropriate, then add broadband and maintenance costs separately. They are not part of the PC-only range above.
Keeping the study-music stream live
Low electricity cost does not ensure an uninterrupted broadcast. YouTube advises choosing stream quality to fit the reliability of the internet connection, checking upload speed before going live, testing the stream 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 home connection can sustain them. Check YouTube’s current live encoder settings and bitrate guidance.
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For continuous playback from a home PC, the computer, network connection and any backup power are all potential failure points. Include their reliability and maintenance in a decision about total cost; the available cost scenario does not quantify outage losses or compare a PC with a VPS or managed service.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or let it run in the cloud
StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. The cloud continues looping the uploaded video without your home computer or connection staying on. Each slot streams the upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; it also includes 10 GB of pooled storage per slot, playlists, automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream, and support from the StreamNeo team. Its first day is free with no card.
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StreamNeo’s India-focused guide offers context for comparing a home-PC setup with cloud streaming, but the ₹605–₹1,152 estimate above is not a full cost comparison. Visit StreamNeo for service details. To try it, start a free first day with StreamNeo.
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