Standby Power: The EUR 100/Year You're Throwing Away
Right now, while you read this, your home is wasting electricity. Your TV, game console, microwave clock, phone charger (without a phone), router, printer — all consuming power 24/7. This invisible drain is called standby power, and it's costing you more than you think.
per year for a typical European household
What Is Standby Power?
Standby power (also called phantom load, vampire power, or ghost electricity) is the energy consumed by electronic devices when they're switched off but still plugged in. That little red LED on your TV? It's drawing power. Your microwave showing the clock? That's power. Your laptop charger plugged into the wall with no laptop? Still drawing power.
The Real Numbers
The average European household has 20-40 devices on standby at any given time. Each device draws 1-15 watts continuously. Here's what typical standby consumption looks like:
| Device | Standby Power | Annual Cost (EUR) | Annual kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV (modern LED) | 1-3W | EUR 2-6 | 9-26 kWh |
| Game console | 5-15W | EUR 10-30 | 44-131 kWh |
| Desktop computer | 2-8W | EUR 4-16 | 18-70 kWh |
| Microwave (clock) | 2-4W | EUR 4-8 | 18-35 kWh |
| Phone charger (no phone) | 0.5-1W | EUR 1-2 | 4-9 kWh |
| Set-top box / DVR | 10-25W | EUR 20-50 | 88-219 kWh |
| Printer | 3-7W | EUR 6-14 | 26-61 kWh |
| Coffee machine | 1-3W | EUR 2-6 | 9-26 kWh |
Add up all your standby devices: if they total 50W combined (very common), that's 50W × 24h × 365 days = 438 kWh/year = approximately EUR 100/year at EUR 0.23/kWh.
The Worst Offenders
Not all standby devices are equal. The biggest energy vampires in your home are:
- Set-top boxes and DVRs — Many never truly turn off. They consume 10-25W 24/7 because they're always recording or updating.
- Game consoles — PS5 and Xbox in 'rest mode' can draw 5-15W. That's EUR 10-30/year per console.
- Desktop computers — Sleep mode still uses 2-8W. A PC that's 'off' but plugged in draws 1-3W.
- Old audio/video equipment — Older amplifiers, receivers, and sound systems are especially wasteful in standby.
- Smart home devices — Smart speakers, hubs, and cameras run 24/7 by design. Individually small, collectively significant.
How to Kill Standby Power in 10 Minutes
The good news: this is one of the easiest energy savings you can make. No renovation needed. No investment. Just 10 minutes of your time.
- Get a smart power strip (EUR 15-30) — Plug your TV, game console, and sound system into one strip. One switch turns everything truly off.
- Unplug chargers — Phone, laptop, tablet chargers should be unplugged when not actively charging.
- Use the wall switch — Many European outlets have a switch. Use it. It's the easiest way to cut phantom load.
- Enable deep sleep — Check your game console and computer settings for 'full power off' or 'deep sleep' instead of 'rest mode'.
- Use timers for always-on devices — Router, modem can be on a timer. Turn off midnight-6am = 25% less runtime.
A smart power strip costs EUR 15-30 and can cut your standby consumption by 50-70%. That's a payback period of 2-4 months. Best ROI in your home.
How EnergyVision Detects Standby Waste
When you read your electricity meter regularly with EnergyVision, our AI analyzes your baseline consumption — the minimum power your home draws even when you think everything is off. If your baseline is higher than expected for your home size, Sparky will alert you: 'Your minimum consumption is 150W — that's EUR 200/year in standby. Let's find the vampires!'
Some devices need to stay on: your router (internet), refrigerator (food safety), security cameras, and smoke detectors. Focus on entertainment and office devices instead.
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