How much is standby power costing your home?

What changes the cost of a standby power?

The quick answer is power multiplied by time and your electricity rate—but the right input depends on the appliance. Wattwise starts this calculator with a representative estimate, not a manufacturer-specific claim. Replace defaults with measured, label, or bill values wherever possible.

• Measured standby watts
• Devices that must stay connected
• Active versus idle hours
• Smart-plug consumption
• Avoidable percentage

Example standby power running costs

These examples use Australia usage rate and the typical schedule shown in the calculator. Electricity tariffs vary by provider, tier, time, tax, and subsidy, so replace the rate with the value on your bill.

Ways to reduce this appliance’s electricity cost

Savings depend on comfort, safety, usage, and the equipment you already own. Model a change before buying a replacement, and verify high-cost appliances with a meter or label value.

1. Measure entertainment clusters as a group.
2. Do not switch off safety, medical, networking, or update-dependent devices blindly.
3. Compare the smart plug's own standby use and purchase price.

How Wattwise calculated this estimate

For the default inputs, Wattwise estimates $2.63 per month and 13.1 kWh at the global reference rate. The active formula is: total standby watts × 24 hours × quantity.

The displayed range widens when power, duty cycle, weather, or tariff data are estimates. It narrows when you provide measured energy, an official annual kWh value, or a per-cycle energy label. Fixed charges are not allocated to one appliance unless you explicitly create a household bill allocation.