UK household standby power costs around £147 per year, according to the Energy Saving Trust, which estimates that 9-16% of home electricity use comes from appliances left on standby (Energy Saving Trust, 2026). This figure is based on an average annual electricity bill of £1,023 at current price cap rates.
The actual cost depends on how many devices you leave plugged in and their standby draw. Large appliances like TVs, set-top boxes, games consoles and computers often use 10-30 watts each when not in active use. Smaller devices such as phone chargers, microwaves and smart speakers add smaller but persistent loads. The total can range from £80 to over £200 a year depending on your household size and gadget count.
Typical standby draw by appliance type
A plasma TV left on standby uses around 20 watts, costing roughly £28 a year at current electricity rates (DESNZ, 2026). Set-top boxes and digital recorders average 15-25 watts each, adding £21-£35 annually. Games consoles in standby mode draw 10-25 watts, while a desktop computer on idle uses about 30-50 watts. Even a microwave with a digital clock pulls 2-3 watts continuously. The Energy Saving Trust notes that a typical household has 20-30 devices on standby at any time (Energy Saving Trust, 2026).
How to calculate your own standby cost
Use a plug-in energy monitor to measure each device’s wattage when switched off but still plugged in. Multiply that figure (in watts) by 8,760 hours, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity unit rate (currently around 28p/kWh under the 2026 price cap, per Ofgem). For example, a 10-watt device costs £24.53 a year: 10W x 8,760h / 1,000 x £0.28 (Ofgem, 2026). Add up all devices to get your household total.
Easy ways to cut standby waste
Switch off appliances at the wall socket when not in use. Use smart power strips that cut power to peripherals when the main device turns off. Unplug phone and laptop chargers – they draw 0.1-0.5 watts even when not charging. The biggest savings come from set-top boxes and games consoles: turning these off completely rather than leaving on standby can save £30-£50 a year (Energy Saving Trust, 2026). No cost to implement, and the savings start immediately.
A worked example
A typical 3-bedroom semi-detached house in Manchester with 25 devices on standby will cost roughly £147 per year, based on Energy Saving Trust figures. Take the Jones family, they have a smart TV (20W), a Sky Q box (25W), a games console (15W), a desktop computer on idle (40W), and a microwave with a clock (3W). They also leave phone chargers, a smart speaker, and a printer plugged in. Their total standby draw is around 120 watts, running 24 hours a day. At the current Ofgem price cap of 24.5p per kWh, this adds up to £147 annually. After installing a smart plug strip on the entertainment centre and switching the computer off at the wall, they cut standby draw to 25 watts, saving £98 per year. The smart plug strip cost £25 and paid for itself in under 4 months. Glazing is standard-rated for VAT at 20%. The zero rate for energy-saving materials covers insulation, heat pumps and solar panels; HMRC names secondary and double glazing as excluded (VAT Notice 708/6). You can check your own standby cost using a plug-in energy monitor from a DIY shop for around £15.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Upfront cost after grants | £25 |
| Yearly savings | £98 |
| Payback period | 3 months |
| 25-year lifetime savings | £2,450 |
What homeowners often get wrong
The most common mistake is thinking that switching a device off with its remote or button stops power use entirely. Here are the three biggest errors UK homeowners make with standby power.
- Believing “off” means zero power Many appliances still draw power when turned off by remote or a soft switch. A Sky Q box uses 25 watts in standby, that is £35 a year wasted. The right answer is to switch off at the wall socket or use a smart plug.
- Ignoring small, persistent loads Phone chargers, smart speakers, and microwaves with clocks each pull 1-3 watts continuously. Across 10 such devices, that adds up to £25 a year. The right answer is to unplug them or use a multi-socket strip with individual switches.
- Overlooking older, inefficient devices A 10-year-old plasma TV on standby uses 20 watts, while a modern LED TV uses 5 watts. Keeping an old second TV in the spare room on standby costs £28 a year. The right answer is to replace old devices or unplug them when not in use.
Quick reference
- Standby power costs the average UK household £147 per year, or 9-16% of the total electricity bill.
- A single set-top box on standby costs £25-£35 annually, more than a modern fridge freezer uses in a year.
- Glazing is standard-rated for VAT at 20%. The zero rate for energy-saving materials covers insulation, heat pumps and solar panels; HMRC names secondary and double glazing as excluded (VAT Notice 708/6).
- Using a £15 plug-in energy monitor can identify your biggest standby power wasters in under an hour.
- Turning off 5 high-draw devices at the wall saves around £80 per year with no upfront cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Energy Saving Trust estimates standby power costs around £147 per year for an average UK household. This adds 9-16% to your annual electricity bill.
Large appliances like plasma TVs (20W), set-top boxes (15-25W), and games consoles (10-25W) use the most standby power. A TV alone can cost £28 a year according to DESNZ.
Use a plug-in energy monitor to measure each device's wattage when off but plugged in. Multiply by 8,760 hours, divide by 1,000 for kWh, then multiply by your electricity rate per kWh.
