Phantom load in the 2020s

A decade ago, standby power was closer to 15-20% of home electricity — big CRT TVs, DVRs, old game consoles sitting in active standby. Federal efficiency standards and manufacturer improvements cut that in half. But the list of devices in a typical home has grown, so the total is still meaningful.

For a Texas household using 1,200 kWh/month: 5-10% is 60-120 kWh/month, or $7-15 on your bill. Not transformative, but not nothing.

The worst offenders

1. Cable/satellite DVR (5-15W in standby)

DVRs run full power 24/7 to record. A fully-on DVR pulling 15W draws 130 kWh/year — more than most modern TVs. If you have multiple boxes, multiply. Cutting cable entirely is the "fix." Moving to streaming shifts the load to your TV and router, which is less.

2. Game consoles in "instant-on" or "rest mode" (10-15W)

PlayStation and Xbox default to standby modes that keep the system powered enough to receive updates and respond to voice activation. Turning off instant-on saves 50-100 kWh/year per console.

3. Older TVs and soundbars (1-10W)

Modern TVs are usually sub-1W in standby. Older ones (pre-2015) can be 5-10W. Soundbars with always-listening mics are similar.

4. Cable modems and routers (6-15W continuous)

These run full-power 24/7. You can't really turn them off without losing internet, but consolidating modem+router into a single unit cuts the draw and upgrading to a modern efficiency-rated unit helps.

5. Chargers left plugged in with no device (0.1-1W each, adds up)

Phone chargers draw about 0.1-0.5W when empty. Laptop power bricks can be 1-3W even when the laptop's unplugged. Individually negligible. A house with 10-15 of them scattered: 5-20W continuous, which is 40-175 kWh/year.

6. Instant-on coffee makers, microwaves with clocks, smart speakers (1-5W each)

Kitchen electronics with clocks or always-on displays burn continuous small loads. Microwaves alone: 2-4W continuous = 17-35 kWh/year.

What helps

  1. Advanced power strips (around $20-30 each) cut power to peripherals when the main device turns off. TV off → receiver, console, soundbar all cut. Effective for entertainment setups.
  2. Smart plugs with schedules — useful for devices you only need at specific times (e.g., coffee maker from 6-10 AM).
  3. Just unplug the stuff you don't use daily. That third TV. The basement stereo. The office printer you use twice a month.
  4. Disable instant-on modes on game consoles. Biggest single wins for gamers.
  5. Cut cable TV if you haven't already. DVRs are the worst single vampire in most American houses.

What doesn't help as much as people think

  • Unplugging phone chargers: popular advice, trivial impact. Do it if you like, but it's in the noise.
  • Turning off WiFi at night: saves ~0.1 kWh/day. Also breaks your smart home and any device that updates overnight.
  • Whole-home kill switches: oversold. The ROI is maybe $5/month for the inconvenience of resetting clocks every morning.

The practical target: cut the worst offenders (DVR, always-on consoles, idle entertainment systems) and you'll capture 70% of the savings available in this category. Diminishing returns after that.