Plenty of devices keep drawing power when they look switched off: set-top boxes, game consoles in rest mode, TVs with quick-start, sleeping computers, soundbars and anything with a clock or a glowing light. One device does not cost much. Twenty of them, running 24 hours a day, every day of the year, add up.
An NRDC study of about 70,000 northern California homes found that always-on idle power averaged nearly 23% of household electricity use, worth about $165 per household per year nationally at 2015 prices.
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What standby power costs
Every watt a device draws around the clock uses 8.76 kWh a year. At 18¢ per kWh, close to the 2026 U.S. average:
| Always-on draw | kWh per year | Cost per year at 18¢ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 watt | 8.8 | $1.58 |
| 5 watts | 43.8 | $7.88 |
| 10 watts | 87.6 | $15.77 |
| 25 watts | 219 | $39.42 |
| 50 watts | 438 | $78.84 |
A modern phone charger with nothing attached usually draws well under a watt, so it is a low priority. An entertainment center with a cable box, console, soundbar and subwoofer can draw tens of watts around the clock, which makes it the place to start.
The usual suspects
- Cable and satellite boxes, DVRs: often draw nearly as much in “off” as when on, because they keep updating the guide and recording.
- Game consoles in rest or instant-on mode: stay ready to download updates and wake instantly.
- TVs with quick-start or always-listening features.
- Desktop computers, monitors and printers left on or in a light sleep.
- Soundbars, subwoofers and AV receivers waiting for a signal.
- Old electronics and their power bricks, which tend to be less efficient than newer ones.
- A second fridge or freezer in the garage: not standby power, but often the biggest always-on load in the house, especially if it is old.
Step 1: measure, don’t guess
A plug-in electricity monitor shows exactly what a device draws, both in use and switched off. Plug it into the wall, plug the device into it and read the watts. The P3 Kill A Watt EZ also works out the cost per week, month and year once you enter your rate, and is accurate to within about 0.2%.
Good: instant answers, calculates cost for you, works on almost any plug-in device.
Watch out: one device at a time; not for space heaters or other high-wattage heaters, which should always plug straight into the wall.
Prefer to watch usage over time from your phone? A smart plug with energy monitoring, like the Kasa Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring (KP125M), logs consumption and can also switch the device off on a schedule.
Step 2: cut the waste
Change the settings first
The cheapest fix is often a menu option. Switch game consoles from rest or instant-on to the energy-saving mode, turn off quick-start on the TV, and set computers to sleep after a short idle time. You lose a few seconds of start-up time and nothing else.
Switch whole groups off at once
Plug the TV, console, soundbar and streaming box into one power strip and switch it off at night, or use a smart plug on a schedule. Keep anything that needs to stay on (a DVR that records overnight, or the modem and router) on a separate outlet.
Unplug what you rarely use
The guest-room TV, the old stereo, the spare printer, the second fridge that only holds a few drinks: unplug them until you need them.
Leave these alone: refrigerators and freezers you depend on, medical equipment, smoke and CO alarms, security systems, and anything that needs to stay on to receive updates or record. Never put a space heater on a smart plug or power strip.
Work out your own numbers
Use our energy cost calculator: choose “Always-on standby device” or enter the watts from your meter, set hours to 24 and enter your rate.
FAQ
Do phone chargers use electricity when nothing is plugged in?
A little, but modern chargers usually draw well under a watt with nothing attached, so they cost very little over a year. Unplugging them is fine, but start with set-top boxes, consoles and entertainment centers, which draw far more.
Is it worth unplugging the TV?
Turning off quick-start or always-on features usually captures most of the saving. If several devices share the TV stand, a switched power strip or a scheduled smart plug is easier than unplugging each one.
Does switching off a power strip stop phantom power?
Yes. With the strip switched off, nothing plugged into it can draw power. Just keep devices that must stay on, such as a recording DVR, on another outlet.
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