Phantom Load / Standby Power Cost
Check the devices that stay plugged in, adjust their standby watts if you've measured them, pick your state, and see the watts, the kWh and the dollars a year, and the share of an average bill.
Standby power cost
G06Scenario A
Sets the electricity rate. Pick US average if you're not sure.
From EIA for US average. Use the rate on your bill if you know it.
Rate used: 18.4¢/kWh · US average · EIA reference 2025–26 (data as of 2026-09-26) ·
Standby cost per year
44 W around the clock is 385 kWh a year.
- Total standby
- 44 W
- kWh per year
- 385
- Cost per year
- $70.92
- Share of an average bill
- 4%
Estimate. Formula and sources are under “How it works”. Change any input; the result updates as you type.
Formula
How it works
- Standby watts = the sum of the checked devices' standby watts
- kWh per year = standby watts ÷ 1,000 × 8,760 hours
- Cost per year = kWh per year × electricity rate
- Share of an average bill = cost per year ÷ 12 ÷ your state's average monthly bill
Standby power is small per device but runs every hour of the year. A cable box that draws 15 W while "off" runs 8,760 hours a year, as many as the fridge.
Sources: standby watts from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Standby Power database; cable and satellite boxes typically draw 10–25 W in standby, the largest of the common devices. Electricity rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly table 5.6.A; average bill: EIA.
Worked example
A worked example
A 20 W cable box, a 12 W game console, a 5 W desktop and a 2 W TV add up to 39 W of standby, around the clock. That's 342 kWh a year, about $109.32 at California's 32.0¢/kWh, roughly 6% of an average California bill.
Reference
By state, at the default inputs
Standby cost per year, with this page's default inputs and each state's reference prices (EIA reference 2025–26, data as of 2026-09-26).
| US average | $70.92 | 18.4¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $59.74 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Alaska | $96.36 | 25.0¢/kWh |
| Arizona | $57.82 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| Arkansas | $50.11 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| California | $123.34 | 32.0¢/kWh |
| Colorado | $61.67 | 16.0¢/kWh |
| Connecticut | $115.63 | 30.0¢/kWh |
| Delaware | $65.52 | 17.0¢/kWh |
| District of Columbia | $73.23 | 19.0¢/kWh |
| Florida | $57.82 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| Georgia | $55.89 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| Hawaii | $161.88 | 42.0¢/kWh |
| Idaho | $46.25 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| Illinois | $65.52 | 17.0¢/kWh |
| Indiana | $59.74 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Iowa | $52.03 | 13.5¢/kWh |
| Kansas | $55.89 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| Kentucky | $50.11 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Louisiana | $48.18 | 12.5¢/kWh |
| Maine | $100.21 | 26.0¢/kWh |
| Maryland | $73.23 | 19.0¢/kWh |
| Massachusetts | $111.78 | 29.0¢/kWh |
| Michigan | $75.16 | 19.5¢/kWh |
| Minnesota | $59.74 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Mississippi | $52.03 | 13.5¢/kWh |
| Missouri | $50.11 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Montana | $50.11 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Nebraska | $46.25 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| Nevada | $57.82 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| New Hampshire | $104.07 | 27.0¢/kWh |
| New Jersey | $84.80 | 22.0¢/kWh |
| New Mexico | $57.82 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| New York | $96.36 | 25.0¢/kWh |
| North Carolina | $55.89 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| North Dakota | $44.33 | 11.5¢/kWh |
| Ohio | $63.60 | 16.5¢/kWh |
| Oklahoma | $50.11 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Oregon | $55.89 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| Pennsylvania | $71.31 | 18.5¢/kWh |
| Rhode Island | $111.78 | 29.0¢/kWh |
| South Carolina | $57.82 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| South Dakota | $50.11 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Tennessee | $52.03 | 13.5¢/kWh |
| Texas | $59.74 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Utah | $46.25 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| Vermont | $84.80 | 22.0¢/kWh |
| Virginia | $59.74 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Washington | $46.25 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| West Virginia | $59.74 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Wisconsin | $67.45 | 17.5¢/kWh |
| Wyoming | $48.18 | 12.5¢/kWh |
Questions
FAQ
How much does standby power cost per year?
With the default list (44 W) at the US average rate of 18.4¢/kWh, about 385 kWh and $70.92 a year, about 4% of an average bill. Your number depends mostly on the cable box and the game console.
Do smart plugs pay for themselves?
Compare the plug's price with what the device costs in standby. A 15 W cable box costs about $24.18 a year at the US average rate; a 1 W TV, about $1.61. A smart plug or a switched power strip makes sense on the first, rarely on the second. Some boxes need a long reboot after a full power cut.
What are the biggest phantom loads?
Cable and satellite boxes (10–25 W in LBNL's measurements), then game consoles set to "instant on" and soundbars. Chargers, TVs and kitchen clocks are usually 1–3 W each.
Is it worth unplugging everything?
Not device by device: a 1 W charger costs under $2 a year. Focus on the few that draw 10 W or more, where a power strip turns several off at once.
How do I measure my own standby watts?
A plug-in power meter shows the watts of whatever is plugged into it. Turn the device off with its remote and read the meter. Type the number into the checklist.
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