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Standby Power Explained: Why Devices Use Energy While Off

A device with a remote control, a clock, a network connection or an external power brick is never fully off. Each draws a watt or a few; together a home can idle at 30 to 100 watts, every hour of the year.

By the Akermin Editorial Team · 3 min read

Standby power is the electricity a device draws when it is switched off or idle but still plugged in. It keeps remote-control receivers listening, clocks running, network links alive, memory powered and power supplies energized. Individually the numbers are small, a fraction of a watt to 20 W, but they run 8,760 hours a year. A typical home idles at 30 to 100 W of standby, which is 260 to 880 kWh per year. Measuring which devices are responsible takes a plug-in meter and an afternoon.

Why off is not off

  • Remote control receivers must stay powered to hear the “on” command.
  • Clocks and displays on ovens, microwaves and appliances.
  • Network connections on smart TVs, speakers, consoles, printers and anything with an app.
  • Quick-start modes that keep a device partly booted so it starts in seconds.
  • Power supplies that stay energized whenever the plug is in, even with no load.
  • Memory and settings retention in older equipment without non-volatile memory.

Typical standby draw

Device Typical standby Per year
Modern phone charger, no phone Under 0.1 W Under 1 kWh
LED television, standby 0.5 to 1 W (more with quick-start or network on) 4 to 9 kWh
Set-top box / cable box 10 to 20 W 90 to 175 kWh
Games console, instant-on mode 10 to 15 W; under 1 W in energy-saving mode 90 to 130 kWh
Desktop computer, sleep 2 to 5 W 18 to 45 kWh
Wi-Fi router and modem (always on by design) 8 to 15 W 70 to 130 kWh
Microwave with clock 2 to 4 W 18 to 35 kWh
Audio receiver, standby 1 to 10 W 9 to 90 kWh
Printer, idle 2 to 6 W 18 to 50 kWh
Smart speaker 2 to 3 W 18 to 26 kWh

Regulations in many regions now cap standby at 0.5 W for devices without network functions and 2 to 8 W for networked ones, so new equipment is far better than equipment from a decade ago.

Measuring it

  1. Plug a power meter between the outlet and the device. Read the watts with the device “off”.
  2. Leave it a day and read accumulated kWh for the real average, since some devices wake periodically.
  3. Repeat for the suspects: entertainment center, office, kitchen.
  4. For the whole-house figure, read the whole-home monitor or the meter at night with everything off; the residual is standby plus the fridge.

See plug-in vs whole-home energy monitors.

What actually helps

  • Switch consoles and TVs from instant-on to energy-saving modes; this is the biggest single win.
  • Put the entertainment center on a switched strip, or a smart strip that cuts peripherals when the TV goes off.
  • Replace set-top boxes with streaming devices where possible; the box is often the worst offender.
  • Do not bother with modern chargers or LED TVs; the saving is pennies.
  • Leave the router alone; the energy is small and the disruption is not.

For the units, see what a kilowatt-hour is; for cost per device, how much electricity a 100-watt device uses.

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Products shown because their documented specifications fit this guide. Price and availability are on Amazon and can change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does standby power cost a household?

Studies typically find 5 to 10 percent of household electricity goes to standby loads, on the order of 300 to 800 kWh a year, or roughly $50 to $250 depending on tariff.

Does unplugging a phone charger save energy?

A modern charger with nothing connected draws well under 0.1 W, about 1 kWh a year. Unplugging it is harmless but saves almost nothing; older chargers and larger power bricks draw more.

Which devices have the highest standby draw?

Set-top boxes and older games consoles in "instant on" modes (10 to 20 W), desktop computers in sleep, audio receivers, printers and some smart appliances with always-on displays.

Affiliate disclosure: Akermin earns a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases made through links on this page. Our editorial picks are based on documented specifications and owner feedback, not commissions.