What It CostsWhat is everything on standby costing me?
Nobody can name their household standby load. Everybody has one, and it runs 8,760 hours a year.
One thing off the bill each month
MonthlyOne appliance a month worth measuring or changing, and what it does to the yearly total. No tariff pitches, no prices — the numbers that stay true.
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How this works
What one watt is worth
A watt left on permanently, priced across a year, at three common electricity prices.
| Left on permanently | kWh a year | At $0.17 | At £0.25 | At €0.35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 W | 8.8 | $1.49 | £2.19 | €3.07 |
| 5 W | 43.8 | $7.45 | £10.95 | €15.33 |
| 15 W | 131.4 | $22.34 | £32.85 | €45.99 |
| 30 W | 262.8 | $44.68 | £65.70 | €91.98 |
| 60 W | 525.6 | $89.35 | £131.40 | €183.96 |
Multiply any standby figure by these to see what finding it is worth. It is the same number every year, for as long as the device exists.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure standby draw?
A plug-in energy monitor, though many cannot resolve loads under about three watts — which is fine, because anything they cannot see is not worth chasing. For a whole-house figure, read the meter late at night with everything obviously off.
Which devices are actually worth unplugging?
Set-top boxes and DVRs at fifteen to thirty watts, consoles in rest mode at ten to fifteen, old AV receivers at ten to twenty. Modern televisions and phone chargers are under a watt and not worth the inconvenience.
Is standby regulated?
Yes, and it is why the problem has shrunk. Most standby modes are capped at half a watt, with a few watts allowed for networked standby. What remains high is equipment that is not really in standby — a box recording, a console downloading, a router routing.