Leaving your appliances on standby could cost you hundreds of dollars a year
Digital video recorders (DVRs), wireless routers and printers can be some of biggest energy hogs
Other appliances, such as TVs, dishwashers and air conditioners, won't cost you much at all
Look around your house and you’ll find many appliances – TVs, microwaves, phone chargers, washing machines and games consoles – that all cost you money even when you think you’ve turned them off. The arrival of the smart home will only add to your power bill: by 2023 the average home is expected to have almost 20 connected devices.
Standby energy costs eat into your bank account in small bites, but the bigger cost doesn’t just show up in your electricity bill. The total cost of standby energy across the country can amount to tonnes of CO2 and other greenhouse gases being emitted.
We’ve found that if you have a lot of appliances that are inefficient, you could be paying hundreds of dollars or more per year for unnecessary power and contributing more than 1000 kilograms of greenhouse gases to the environment.
How much energy does an appliance use in standby mode?
When we compared appliances in 2019, the difference between the most efficient and least efficient was marginal in most areas. When it came to large air conditioners, for example, the lowest annual standby cost was $0.01, while the highest was $1.80. An efficient Blu-ray player cost nothing a year in standby costs, while the least efficient cost $0.05.
But with some products we saw a greater difference, for example the lowest standby energy cost for an Ikea microwave was $0.67 compared to a Panasonic model at $6.28. The starkest divide was with multi-function printers, where the lowest standby cost was $0.00 compared to an absolute energy hog at $32.06.
It’s often older appliances that use the most
Individually, most appliances will only draw a small amount of energy on standby, but Australia-wide it adds up to an immense amount of power. It’s often older appliances that use the most; energy-saving initiatives have generally made new appliances much more efficient in all respects, particularly if they have to adhere to an Energy Star rating. And while standby costs may be a small part of your total power bill, isn’t it better to have the money in your pocket, rather than the electricity company’s?
Text-only accessible version
Standby energy costs – home entertainment
Blu ray player
Lowest cost $0.00
Highest cost $0.01
DVR (Digital video recorder)
Lowest cost $2.80
Highest cost $31.30
Games consoles
Lowest cost $0.57
Highest cost $0.88
While home entertainment appliances can consume a significant amount of energy, any product that has to adhere to an Energy Star rating such as TVs by law must meet stringent standby energy figures to be sold in Australia.
Some IT devices need to be in a constant state of readiness, particularly devices that use voice activation such as Smart LED lights and smart speakers. However CHOICE testing has shown that this need not mean a spike in energy use.
Text-only accessible version
Standby energy costs – appliances
Air con – large
Lowest cost $0.04
Highest cost $1.08
Some appliances such as air conditioners will inevitably incorporate smart aspects to their operation, such as turning on as you approach your home or learning what temperatures your family may find comfortable. But if you don’t need certain features, such as a Wi-Fi enabled washing machine or Bluetooth Microwave, don’t enable them.
Denis Gallagher is a Senior project officer for Digital home products and also works on test projects for the laundry and fridge labs. He produces tests for gadgets, phones, cameras and home entertainment gear as well as TVs, washing machines, dishwashers and fridges.
Previously at CHOICE, Denis worked as a Content producer for digital products. Prior to CHOICE, Denis worked as an Assistant editor on Golf Australia magazine and Editor for Multimedia and Videocamera magazine.
Denis has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Diploma of Journalism from Macleay College.
Find Denis on LinkedIn.
Denis Gallagher is a Senior project officer for Digital home products and also works on test projects for the laundry and fridge labs. He produces tests for gadgets, phones, cameras and home entertainment gear as well as TVs, washing machines, dishwashers and fridges.
Previously at CHOICE, Denis worked as a Content producer for digital products. Prior to CHOICE, Denis worked as an Assistant editor on Golf Australia magazine and Editor for Multimedia and Videocamera magazine.
Denis has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Diploma of Journalism from Macleay College.
Find Denis on LinkedIn.
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