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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Streaming Stick or Box in Texas? (2026)

A streaming stick draws 2 to 5 watts while playing, and most stay on in a low-power state around the clock. They are the cheapest way to stream, far below a console or a desktop PC.

A typical streaming stick or box (4 W) costs $0.001 per hour, or about $0.077 per month at 4 hours a day in Texas. Cheap to run

Electricity price region Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low (2 W)	$0.000	$0.001	$0.038	$0.47
Typical (4 W)	$0.001	$0.003	$0.077	$0.93
High (10 W)	$0.002	$0.006	$0.19	$2.34

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 4 h/day ≈ 6 kWh per year.

In Texas, with electricity at $0.16 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical streaming stick or box costs $0.001 per hour and about $0.93 per year at 4 hours a day. That is about 11% less than the US national average of $0.086 per month, because electricity in Texas costs $0.16 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 1,562.5 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a streaming stick or box

Stream on the stick rather than a game console, which can use 20 times more.
Use the TV's USB port for power so the stick turns off with the TV.
Turn off screensavers and ambient modes that keep the TV awake.

In standby it draws about 2 W, which adds roughly 18 kWh ($2.80) per year if it is never unplugged.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a streaming stick cost to run?

Around 20 to 30 kWh a year including standby, a dollar or two.

Do streaming devices use electricity when off?

Most never truly turn off. They draw 1 to 3 watts waiting for a remote press.

Which streaming device uses the least power?

Small HDMI sticks. Full-size boxes with more processing draw 5 to 10 watts.

Compare with

Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox) vs Streaming Stick or Box

Cost by region

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Use the generic electricity cost calculator →