Standby power: the phantom load draining your bill

Devices left on standby draw power around the clock. See what phantom load really costs an Australian home and the simple ways to switch it off.

By EnergySorted Editorial Team · Updated 27 July 2026 · 5 min read

The power you pay for but never use

Standby power (also called phantom load or vampire power) is the electricity your devices draw while they are switched off or idle but still plugged in. A TV waiting for the remote, a game console in rest mode, a microwave showing a clock, a phone charger left in the wall: each sips a small amount of power continuously, around the clock.

Individually these draws are tiny, often just a few watts. But there are dozens of them in a modern home, and they run 24 hours a day, every day. Added together, standby power commonly accounts for around 3 to 10% of a household's electricity use: power you pay full price for and get nothing back from. If you have ever wondered why your electricity bill is so high, the phantom load is one of the quieter culprits.

What it adds up to

Put rough numbers on it and the phantom load stops looking harmless. If standby devices across a home draw a combined 50 watts continuously, that is 1.2 kWh a day, or about 438 kWh a year. At 35c/kWh that is roughly $150 a year to power devices that are, for the most part, doing nothing.

The worst offenders are older set-top boxes, game consoles left in a networked standby, home entertainment gear, and anything with an always-on display or an external power brick that stays warm to the touch. A warm plug pack is a giveaway that a device is drawing power even when the thing it powers is switched off.

How to hunt down the phantom load

The simplest fix is to switch things off at the wall. Grouping entertainment gear onto a single power board lets you kill the whole lot with one switch when you go to bed or leave the house, rather than reaching behind furniture for each plug. Smart power boards and timers can do this automatically, cutting power to idle devices while leaving essentials like the modem running.

Not everything should be switched off. Fridges, freezers, and anything that needs to stay on obviously stay plugged in. The targets are the devices that sit idle for long stretches: the second TV in a spare room, the printer used once a month, chargers left plugged in with nothing attached. A cheap plug-in power meter can show you exactly which devices are the biggest phantom draws if you want to be precise.

How to cut standby power

Put entertainment units and office gear on switchable power boards you can turn off in one go.
Switch off devices at the wall overnight and when you leave the house for the day.
Unplug chargers and power packs when nothing is connected to them.
Retire or unplug rarely used devices: the spare-room TV, the occasional-use printer.
Use smart plugs or timers to cut idle devices automatically while keeping essentials on.
When buying new appliances, check the standby power figure. Efficient models draw less when idle.

Where EnergySorted fits

Standby power is the clearest example of a load you pay for at whatever rate you are on, around the clock, whether you notice it or not. Trimming the phantom load reduces the kilowatt-hours; making sure you are on a fair plan reduces the price of every one of them. EnergySorted compares your real usage across every plan with no retailer commissions, so the always-on portion of your bill is charged at a competitive rate.

The Bill Health Score keeps watch over time, so the steady baseline of a home (standby power, fridges and other constant loads) is not quietly running up a bigger bill than it should on a plan you have outgrown. Cutting phantom load and switching to a sharper plan attack the same problem from both sides.

Frequently asked questions

What is standby or phantom power?

It is the electricity devices draw while switched off or idle but still plugged in: a TV on standby, a console in rest mode, a charger left in the wall. Each draw is small, but there are dozens in a home and they run around the clock.

How much does standby power cost per year?

It commonly makes up around 3 to 10% of a household's electricity use. If your standby devices draw a combined 50 watts continuously, that is about 438 kWh a year, or roughly $150 at 35c/kWh, for devices that are mostly doing nothing.

Which devices use the most standby power?

Older set-top boxes, game consoles in networked standby, home entertainment systems, and anything with an always-on display or an external power brick that stays warm. A warm plug pack is a sign a device is drawing power even when switched off.

How do I reduce standby power at home?

Switch devices off at the wall, group entertainment gear onto a single switchable power board, unplug chargers when nothing is connected, and use smart plugs or timers for idle devices. Leave essentials like fridges and modems running.

Is cutting standby power worth the effort?

For the easy wins, yes. A switchable power board costs little and can trim a steady, year-round load. Combined with making sure you are on a competitive energy plan, which EnergySorted helps you check, you reduce both the kilowatt-hours and the price you pay for each one.

How do I find which devices draw the most standby power?

A cheap plug-in power meter reads the watts a device pulls while idle, so you can test suspects one at a time. A quick shortcut is to feel for warmth: a plug pack or set-top box that is warm to the touch when switched off is drawing power. Older entertainment and networked gear are usually the worst offenders.

Should I turn my modem and router off at night?

You can, and it saves a little, but many households leave them on so smart home gear, security cameras and overnight updates keep working. A good compromise is a smart power board that switches off the entertainment devices while leaving the modem powered, so you cut the biggest idle draws without losing connectivity.

Do phone chargers use power when nothing is plugged in?

A modern charger left in the wall with nothing attached draws almost nothing, though older or cheaper plug packs can still sip a small amount and stay faintly warm. It costs little individually, but unplugging chargers you are not using is a tidy habit that removes one more always-on draw.

Do smart TVs and consoles use a lot of standby power?

They can be among the bigger offenders. A smart TV waiting for a voice command, or a console in a networked "instant on" rest mode, can draw several watts continuously and sometimes far more. Switching consoles to a full low-power standby in their settings, and killing the whole media unit at a power board, cuts it right back.

Does switching things off at the wall harm appliances?

For everyday electronics like TVs, chargers, consoles and kitchen gadgets, no. They are designed to be switched off and on. The exceptions are things that need to keep running, like fridges, freezers, medical equipment and some smart-home hubs, so leave those on and target the genuinely idle devices instead.

Is cutting standby power enough to make a real dent in my bill?

On its own it trims a few per cent, which is real but modest. It works best as part of a wider set of practical ways to cut your power bill: reducing standby, running big appliances at cheaper times, and making sure the rate underneath it all is competitive.

General information only, current at the time of writing. Not financial advice. Rebate schemes and rules change; always confirm details with your retailer or state government energy site.