Standby (Phantom) Power: What It Costs and How to Cut It

Standby power, often called phantom power, is the electricity your devices draw when they look switched off or sit idle. A TV waiting for its remote, a game console in rest mode, a printer, a microwave clock and dozens of chargers all pull a little power around the clock. In a typical Canadian home, these always-on loads add up to somewhere around 50 to 150 watts.

That sounds small, but it runs 8,760 hours a year. A steady 100 watts uses about 876 kWh annually. At Ontario's approximate all-in rate of $0.17 per kWh, that is roughly $150 a year. In Alberta, at about $0.24, it is closer to $210. In Quebec, at about $0.085, it is around $75. You will not get rich cutting phantom power, but the fixes are cheap and quick.

What standby power costs in Canada

The simple rule is that every 10 watts of constant load uses about 88 kWh a year. Multiply by your all-in rate to get the cost. Our guide on how to read your electricity bill shows how to find that rate.

The usual culprits

Newer devices tend to sip very little in standby. Older ones and anything with a networked or quick-start mode can draw much more.

• Entertainment centres. TVs with quick-start, sound bars, subwoofers, streaming boxes and older cable or satellite boxes. Set-top boxes are often among the worst because many barely power down.
• Gaming consoles. Rest or instant-on modes keep the console partly awake for updates.
• Computers and peripherals. Desktops that never sleep, monitors, speakers and laser printers.
• Kitchen and laundry. Clocks and displays on microwaves, ranges, coffee makers and washers. Each is small.
• Second fridges and freezers. These are not standby, but an old beer fridge in a hot garage is often the biggest always-on load in the house. Check it with our appliance calculator.
• Hidden loads. Well pumps, hot tub heaters, dehumidifiers, heat tracing cables and aquarium heaters. See basement dehumidifier costs if that applies to you.

How to measure your always-on baseline

Use your smart meter data

Log in to your utility account and look at hourly usage between about 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on a mild night when heating and cooling are not running. The lowest hour is close to your always-on baseline. If it reads 0.2 kWh, your home is drawing about 200 watts at all times.

Use a plug-in power meter

An inexpensive plug-in power meter shows the watts a single device draws. Test each item both on and off. Many libraries in Canada lend these out for free.

Flip breakers

With your baseline in mind, switch off one circuit at a time and watch your meter or utility app. This quickly shows which part of the house holds the surprise load. Leave circuits for the furnace, fridge, sump pump and medical equipment on.

How to cut phantom power

1. Use advanced power bars. These cut power to accessories when the main device, such as a TV or computer, turns off. They suit entertainment centres and desks well.
2. Change settings. Turn off quick-start or instant-on on TVs and consoles. Set computers to sleep after 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Ask about your set-top box. Many providers offer newer, lower-power boxes or app-based streaming instead.
4. Retire the old second fridge. If you rarely use it, unplugging it often saves more than every other step combined.
5. Use timers for things like block heaters, aquarium lights and decorative lighting.

What not to unplug

Some devices should stay powered. Fridges and freezers, sump pumps, furnace and boiler controls, smoke and CO alarms, medical equipment and security systems all need constant power. Unplugging your modem and router every night saves only a little and can interrupt updates. Leave them on unless you are away for a long time.

Phantom power is a good weekend project, but it is not where the big money is. In most homes, heating and cooling matter far more. Once you have trimmed your baseline, look at air sealing and run your numbers in the home energy estimator to see where the rest of your energy goes.