How much does standby power cost you?
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
Each watt left on all year costs about $2.80 at 32c/kWh. A home with a pay-TV box and a console in sleep mode pays around $135 a year, mostly for those two boxes.
Your result
A year on standby
$135
53.7 W on standby, about 423 kWh a year at 32c/kWh. The biggest you can switch off: Pay-TV or streaming box.
- Keep on (internet, recorder)
- $34
- Everything else
- $101
- 1 W left on all year
- $2.80
Fix the highlighted field to update.
| Device | A year | Our call |
|---|---|---|
| TV | $2 | Not worth it |
| Free-to-air recorder or box | — | Not counted |
| Pay-TV or streaming box | $36 | Switch off |
| Game console | $32 | Switch off |
| Sound bar | $7 | Switch off |
| Smart speaker | $11 | Switch off |
| Clock radio | — | Not counted |
| Modem or router | $22 | Keep on |
| nbn box (NTD) | $12 | Keep on |
| Desktop computer | $2 | Not worth it |
| Computer monitor | $1 | Not worth it |
| Laptop charger left plugged in | — | Not counted |
| Phone charger left plugged in | $2 | Not worth it |
| Printer | — | Not counted |
| Microwave | $6 | Switch off |
| Washing machine at the wall | $1 | Not worth it |
| Dishwasher at the wall | $1 | Not worth it |
| Your own device | — | Not counted |
"Switch off" means $5 a year or more and nothing is lost by switching off at the wall. This is our rule, not a source. Never switch off a fridge, medical equipment, alarms, or solar, battery and EV gear.
How we calculated this
Count the hours each device sits on standby
24 hours minus the hours it is in use. Devices that idle all day, like a modem or a smart speaker, count all 24 hours. Hours in use are our Estimates (table below).
Turn watts into kWh a year
Standby watts × how many × standby hours × 365 ÷ 1,000. Pick each device's mode: a TV with fast start or a console in sleep draws far more than one fully on standby.
53.7 W: 423 kWh a year
Price it and flag the ones worth switching off
kWh × your import rate. We flag a device "Switch off" at $5 a year or more when nothing is lost by switching it off (our rule). Keep-on devices are counted but never flagged.
$135 a year, $34 of it for devices to keep on
| Device | Mode | Standby | In use | Checked | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV | Standby (network off) | 0.4 W | 5 h a day | Official source | Energy Rating register export, 25 Sep 2026: median declared standby, TVs (4,133 models) |
| Fast start or network on | 13 W | Dated third-party source | NRDC Home Idle Load (US, May 2015): average idle draw measured in 10 homes | ||
| Free-to-air recorder or box | Hard-drive recorder | 8 W | 5 h a day | Estimate | Our estimate from E3 (2006): about 7.5 W for a hard-drive recorder on standby |
| Plain set-top box | 1.5 W | Estimate | Our estimate: Australian limits allow 1 to 2 W on standby for a free-to-air box (CLASP fact sheet) | ||
| Pay-TV or streaming box | Network standby | 16 W | 5 h a day | Dated third-party source | NRDC Home Idle Load (US, May 2015): average idle draw measured in 10 homes: set-top boxes |
| Deep standby | 1 W | Estimate | Our estimate for a box with a deep standby setting. No Australian figure found | ||
| Game console | Sleep or rest mode | 12.5 W | 2 h a day | Estimate | Our estimate: Xbox Sleep 10 to 13 W (Xbox Support, read 26 Sep 2026); PS5 rest mode up to 3.1 W (Sony) |
| Energy saver (shutdown) | 0.5 W | Official source | Xbox Support: Shutdown (energy saving) about 0.5 W, read in a browser on 26 Sep 2026 | ||
| Sound bar | Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on | 3 W | 5 h a day | Estimate | Our estimate between Sonos Beam (about 4 W) and Samsung (about 5.5 W) with Wi-Fi on, and 0.5 W off (search results) |
| Network off | 0.5 W | Not yet checked | Samsung Q700A network off, about 0.5 W (search result) | ||
| Smart speaker | Listening | 2 W | Always on | Dated third-party source | How-To Geek (11 Apr 2018): Echo Dot 1.75 W to Echo Plus 2.4 W idle, measured |
| Clock radio | Clock showing | 2 W | Always on | Dated third-party source | LBNL standby power summary table (US products measured in the 2000s): 2.01 W |
| Modem or router | On | 8 W | Always on | Estimate | Our estimate: the middle of "under 3 W to 12 W or more" (Renew, 24 May 2019) |
| nbn box (NTD) | New fibre box | 4.2 W | Always on | Dated third-party source | nbn media statement, 20 Oct 2025: the new FTTP box averages about 4.2 W |
| Older fibre box | 6.4 W | Dated third-party source | nbn media statement, 20 Oct 2025: the previous FTTP box, about 6.4 W | ||
| Fixed wireless | 10 W | Dated third-party source | Renew (24 May 2019): fixed wireless boxes draw "less than 10 watts or so" | ||
| Desktop computer | Off | 1 W | 4 h a day | Estimate | Our estimate between the EU off limit (0.5 W) and older Australian readings (5.1 W, E3 2005) |
| Sleep (older computer) | 21 W | Dated third-party source | LBNL standby power summary table (US products measured in the 2000s): sleep 21.13 W | ||
| Computer monitor | Sleep | 0.29 W | 4 h a day | Official source | Energy Rating register export, 25 Sep 2026: median declared standby, monitors (4,414 models) |
| Laptop charger left plugged in | Modern charger | 0.3 W | 0 h a day | Estimate | Our estimate for a modern charger with no laptop attached |
| Old power brick | 4.4 W | Dated third-party source | LBNL standby power summary table (US products measured in the 2000s): notebook power supply only, 4.42 W | ||
| Phone charger left plugged in | No phone attached | 0.26 W | 0 h a day | Dated third-party source | LBNL standby power summary table (US products measured in the 2000s): 0.26 W (new chargers likely lower) |
| Printer | Off | 1.3 W | 0.1 h a day | Dated third-party source | LBNL standby power summary table (US products measured in the 2000s): inkjet off 1.26 W |
| Idle on the network | 6.3 W | Dated third-party source | NRDC Home Idle Load (US, May 2015): average idle draw measured in 10 homes: printers | ||
| Microwave | With a clock | 2.2 W | 0.2 h a day | Official source | E3 Standby Power Current Status (Oct 2006): 2.2 W average in 120 Australian homes (2005) |
| No clock | 0 W | Official source | E3 Standby Power Current Status (Oct 2006): models with no clock draw about 0 W | ||
| Washing machine at the wall | Standby | 0.48 W | 1 h a day | Official source | Energy Rating register export, 25 Sep 2026: median declared standby, clothes washers (1,358 models) |
| Dishwasher at the wall | Standby | 0.45 W | 1 h a day | Official source | Energy Rating register export, 25 Sep 2026: median declared standby, dishwashers (1,282 models) |
| Device | Why |
|---|---|
| Free-to-air recorder or box | Switching it off stops recordings and guide updates |
| Modem or router | Your nbn phone, alarms and medical alerts can need it |
| nbn box (NTD) | Your internet, nbn phone and alarms need it |
Standby was about 6% of household electricity in 2014, and 8% counting network devices and chargers (Official source). The "10% of your bill" you see quoted is the 2005 figure. Some sites quote a share of all home energy, gas included, which is smaller: that is not a contradiction. Lab figures are measured with network features off, so a device that stays online draws more. A smart plug draws power itself, about 0.5 to 1 W (Estimate), so it only pays on a device that draws more than that. A plain power board switch draws nothing.
Sources
- Energy Rating: Standby Power, Current Status (E3, Oct 2006)
- Energy Rating: Residential Energy Baseline Study for Australia 2000 to 2030 (2015)
- Energy Rating registry: TVs (type 32 export), 25 Sep 2026
- NRDC: Home Idle Load (May 2015)
- LBNL: standby power summary table (archived)
- nbn: focused on energy and resource efficiency (20 Oct 2025)
- Renew: small loads that add up (24 May 2019)
- Sony Interactive: adaptive charging for controllers (19 Dec 2024)
- How-To Geek: how much electricity does the Amazon Echo use (11 Apr 2018)
- Energy Saving Trust: quick tips to save energy
- Xbox Support: learn about power modes
- Shelly: Plus Plug S specifications
- Canstar: electricity cost per kWh
- EnergyPlans: solar feed-in tariffs July 2026
- OTTER: Tasmanian feed-in tariffs
- WA legislation: Synergy A1 tariff, charges amendment by-laws 2026 (SL 2026/140)
Questions
What share of my bill is standby?
About 6% of household electricity in 2014, or 8% with network devices, down from about 10% in 2005 (E3 studies).
Does a TV on standby use much?
No. The median TV on the register draws 0.4 W on standby: about $2 a year for two TVs at the national average rate.
What uses the most on standby?
Boxes that stay online: a pay-TV or streaming box at about 16 W and a console in sleep mode at about 12.5 W. Together they are most of a typical home's standby cost.
Should I switch off my modem?
No. It can cut your nbn phone, alarms and medical alerts. The modem and the nbn box cost about $34 a year together.
Do smart plugs save money?
Only on a device that draws more than the plug itself, about 0.5 to 1 W (Estimate). A plain power board switch draws nothing.