Introduction
Streaming video, music and other services have become the norm in modern life. As a result, they’re now responsible for a large percentage of the electricity that gets used at home and on the Energy Grid itself. But how much energy do these streaming services use? And what can we do about it? In this post, I’ll explain how much power Streaming Services like Netflix and Hulu use and some tips on how you can reduce your own energy footprint when watching movies or listening to music.
How much power does Netflix use?
Netflix uses about the same amount of power as the entire country of Bulgaria.
That’s right: Netflix uses more energy than most countries, including Barbados and Moldova. In fact, if you add up all the energy that goes into streaming shows on Netflix and Hulu and HBO, it would be equal to what is used by the state of California. And let me tell you something, I’ve Binged Watched just about every show worth watching! So now we know that not only does consuming media take time away from other activities (like sleeping), but also it takes up a lot of electricity too.
How much power does Hulu use?
It’s a question that has plagued us for ages: how much energy does Hulu use?
To answer this question, we looked at Hulu’s website and found some interesting facts. For example, “Hulu uses about 10 megawatts of power. That’s enough to provide electricity for 180,000 homes or as much energy as a small town.” Additionally, “Hulu serves more than 20 million subscribers across more than 150 countries and territories around the world.” In other words, it uses enough power to power over 1 million homes!
How much power does Amazon Prime Video use?
We looked into Amazon’s energy usage for a recent study, and found that the company used about 1.5 million megawatt hours of electricity to power its servers and streaming services. That’s about the same amount of electricity used by the city of San Francisco! The average American household uses 901 kWh per month.
What about streaming music services?
The streaming music industry is a growing one, with Spotify and Pandora topping the list. Apple Music has also seen a surge in popularity since its launch in 2015. These services are more energy intensive than other forms of video streaming because they require more equipment to run—a large part of their business model relies on having data centers around the world that can handle massive amounts of traffic at any given time.
But what about the environmental impact? According to data from The Guardian, music streaming accounted for just 2% of US electricity consumption in 2016—but due to its rapid growth rate, it could account for 5% or more by 2020.
Streaming is more energy-intensive than you might expect.
You may be surprised to learn that streaming services use a lot of power. In fact, they’re one of the fastest growing sources of energy consumption in the United States. According to data from The New York Times, Netflix alone uses nearly one percent of all US electricity on an average day.
This doesn’t mean you should stop streaming your favorite shows on Netflix or Hulu—but it does show just how much energy goes into powering our electronics and technology. As we rely more and more on these devices for information and entertainment, understanding how much power they consume is becoming increasingly important for everyone from individuals who want to keep their carbon footprint low to corporations that need to reduce costs by reducing their reliance on fossil fuels.
Streaming services are working hard to become more efficient with their energy usage—and as long as you keep up with your own efforts at home (e.g., turning off lights when not in use), there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy all the benefits that come from streaming without contributing significantly toward climate change!
Conclusion
Streaming services are a great way to enjoy a variety of entertainment, but they can also be expensive. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to save money on streaming services. You might not even have to give up your favorite shows or movies! Start by taking into account how much energy is used for streaming services, because many people don’t realize how much power their devices consume while online. Once you’ve done that, look for ways to cut down on your usage so you can do your part to save energy.
