Standby Power Waste Calculator

Standby power, sometimes called vampire energy or idle power, is the electricity consumed by electronic devices when they are switched off or in standby mode but still plugged in. The DOE estimates standby power accounts for 5-10% of residential electricity use in the US. The IEC defines standby power under IEC 62301.

The DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has measured standby power for hundreds of consumer products. Typical values: TV set-top box 10-20 W, game console 1-15 W, microwave oven 2-5 W, TV (off) 0.5-3 W, phone charger (no phone) 0.1-0.5 W. The DOE 1-watt policy target is less than 1 W standby for most devices.

The DOE 1-watt initiative, developed in cooperation with the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 1999 and adopted by many governments, set a goal of limiting standby power to 1 watt per device. Energy Star programs incorporate this target. The IEA estimates global standby power consumption at over 400 TWh per year.

Use a plug-in power meter (such as a Kill-A-Watt meter) to measure actual standby consumption for your specific devices. Plug the meter between the device and the outlet, switch the device off (but leave it plugged in), and read the wattage. This gives the exact standby draw rather than a published average.

The EPA Energy Star and DOE recommend: (1) use smart power strips that cut power to peripherals when the main device is off; (2) unplug chargers and rarely-used devices; (3) use a whole-home energy monitor to identify high-standby devices; (4) choose Energy Star products with low standby ratings. Eliminating standby waste can save $100-200 per year for a typical US home.