Standby power: what always-on devices really cost

Plenty of devices never really switch off: routers, set-top boxes, TVs on standby, games consoles, microwave clocks, chargers left in the socket. Each one draws only a few watts, but they run 8,760 hours a year.

The maths

A background load of 30 W running day and night uses 263 kWh a year. That is about €71 at €0.27/kWh, £68 at £0.26/kWh or $47 at $0.18/kWh. Many homes have a background load of 50–100 W, and a faulty appliance or an old fridge pushes it higher.

How to find it

• At night, with everything off, read the live power on your smart meter or in-home display: that is your baseload.
• Measure devices one by one with a smart plug with energy monitoring.
• Old fridges and freezers are frequent culprits: a fridge thermometer tells you if yours is working harder than it should.

How to cut it

In the calculator you can add the router and standby devices and see how much they weigh on your bills.

• Plug the TV, set-top box and console into a switched power strip and turn it off at night.
• Schedule smart plugs to cut power to things you don’t need overnight.
• Unplug chargers when you are not using them.