Most people assume that when their TV, console, or soundbar is turned off, they stop using electricity. That assumption costs the average American household between $165 and $200 a year. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reports that constant “vampire power” from these devices accounts for 5 to 10 percent of a home’s total electricity use in many cases. The real culprit is rarely the screen itself. Modern televisions, even when off, consume very little power. The hidden drain comes from the small devices that make them work.
You might guess the television uses the most power while idle. It does not. ENERGY STAR rules limit certified televisions to half a watt or less when fully off. The damage comes from the accessories. Cable boxes and older DVRs can pull twenty watts or more around the clock to update channel guides. Streaming sticks use very little energy, and modems require power to stay connected. The biggest silent consumer is the gaming console. These machines often ship with a “fast start” feature enabled by default. On an Xbox Series X, this is called Instant On. On a PlayStation 5, it is Rest Mode. Both settings keep the machine half-awake to reduce boot-up time and download updates while you sleep.
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Where the energy goes
The NRDC tested the power draw of an Xbox Series X in Instant On mode and found it uses between 9 and 13 watts continuously. This setting wastes roughly $13 to $18 a year in electricity costs alone. A PlayStation 5 in Rest Mode uses even less, usually around 1.3 watts, though this rises to 3.2 watts if controllers are charging or downloads are running. When you add the soundbar, router, and cable box, a typical setup draws between 20 and 60 watts constantly. The financial impact depends on your local rates and how many devices are left in this state. The numbers are small per hour, but they accumulate over days and months.
Two steps to save money
The easiest way to reduce this waste is to change one setting on your console. On an Xbox, go to Settings > General > Power mode & startup and switch from Instant On to Energy Saving. This increases boot time by a few seconds but eliminates the constant drain. On a PS5, handle to Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode and turn off “Supply Power to USB Ports” and “Stay Connected to the Internet” unless you actively need them. These changes are free and take less than a minute to complete.
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A more full fix involves how the devices are plugged in. A switched power strip with a manual on/off switch offers a simple solution. You plug the TV, soundbar, streaming stick, and console into the strip and flip the switch when you finish using them. For a hands-free option, a smart power strip connects the TV to the other devices. When the TV powers down, the strip cuts power to the accessories. The U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory recommend these advanced strips. Efficiency Vermont data indicates they can save up to $100 a year on a typical gaming setup. You should never plug modems, routers, or DVRs into the switched side of these strips, as they need constant power to function correctly.
