Unplug These 7 Common Gadgets to Slash Your Power Bills

Higher electricity prices and more prolonged heat waves have prompted many households to question their use of power. The AC wasn’t the biggest surprise — it was the softly whispering trickle of electricity to appliances I thought were “off.” A month in, using a power meter plugged into a Z-shaped outlet and my utility’s usage dashboard, I found that unplugging just seven common devices while idling consistently cut down my bill, in line with federal advice that nixing standby loads can yield home electricity savings as high as 10%.

Standby draw, also known as vampire power, isn’t dramatic out of a single outlet.

It’s cumulative; across rooms and over 24 hours a day, it adds up. Here’s what I unplugged, how much power these gadgets generally sip while they’re in standby mode, and the real-world savings that homeowners can expect — based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Energy Star, and NRDC.

How Standby Power Saps Your Wallet and Raises Bills

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that standby power can add up to 5–10% of residential electricity use. NRDC’s “Home Idle Load” analysis estimated that, on a national scale, always-on devices can cost the average American household about $100–$200 annually. And at the latter rate, even a steady 5W trickle from one device will add up to over $7 per year at average U.S. residential electricity prices (about 16¢/kWh, according to the Energy Information Administration) — and most households have dozens of these trickles.

Televisions and the Hidden Standby Power They Still Use

Modern televisions can draw between 0.5 and 3W in standby mode, and older sets can use even more. That’s around $1–$5 per TV per year, and more for additional rarely used screens in guest rooms or home offices. When guests leave, I now unplug secondary TVs; it’s a set-and-forget win that doesn’t reduce daily convenience.

Cable Boxes and DVRs That Waste Power Even When Off

Set-top boxes are one of the worst offenders. Even in the “off” state, many models consume 8–15W — about $11–$21 every year. NRDC has long pointed out that these devices, when left in idle mode (or even standby), draw a surprisingly large amount of power, since the tuners and hard drives remain active. If that’s too much work, however, plug the box into an advanced power strip that turns peripherals off when the TV is off.

Game Consoles in Rest Mode and Their Idle Energy Use

Consoles left on in instant-on or rest mode might consume 1.5–10W while idling for updates or quick starts — approximately $2–$14 per year. The solution is easy: Use energy-saving modes, turn off instant-on, and unplug when no one will play for a while. I keep mine plugged into a switchable surge protector so it takes one tap to cut power for the console and charging cradle simultaneously.

Printers and All-In-Ones That Sip Power While Idling

Home printers generally sip 2–6W at idle, which adds up to $3–$8 a year, even if you print only a few times a month. They can wake you up at unwelcome times due to updates and maintenance cycles, and unplugging between uses saves overnight draw they don’t need in standby (and the print heads won’t cycle as often).

Pod Coffee Makers That Waste Energy Keeping Water Hot

Single-serve machines that hold water hot can draw 30–70W if left “ready” for hours. At the top end, that’s no more than an additional $10 a month if you never power them down. Now I brew, and then it’s switch or unplug; on busy mornings, a smart plug schedules a short warmup time before I have to flip the switch. Heated reservoirs have long been a blind spot in kitchens — flagged both by Energy Star, which tells businesses to unplug the things they can’t turn off, and by utility audits.

Mini Fridges and the High Cost of Keeping Them Running

Bar and office fridges always burn 50–100W continuously, so that’s a continuous $70–$140 per year. If yours only gets half-full or is retired seasonally, pulling the plug when it’s not in use pays off hugely over shutting down tiny electronics. Before storing, defrost and prop the door open so odors don’t spread; plug it in again 12–24 hours before restocking.

Sound Bars and Powered Speakers Drawing Power in Standby

Audio equipment often remains in a quasi-powered state — the so-called “quick wake” mode — where it draws 2–8W in anticipation of being woken by Bluetooth or to enter network standby; that’s about $3–$11 per unit annually.

Those devices tend to be near the TV, so I used a switched strip like those for Raspberry Pi gear and turned everything off when that screen shut down.

How Unplugging Became Practical With Meters and Smart Plugs

First, I measured. One $20 plug-in meter told which outlets counted and which didn’t. That avoided overcorrecting on low-impact items and zeroed in on the big standby draws.

Then I automated. Advanced power strips can cut the power to accessories when a “control” device shuts off (i.e., TV off can shut down a cable box, sound bar, and video game console). And smart plugs with energy monitoring allow me to schedule coffee warmups and turn off my printer at night. Labeled switched outlets enabled everybody in the home to participate.

The lesson: no single unplugging moves the needle, but seven focused devices do. That total cut lines up with DOE guidance and what utilities observe in home audits. If you need a jolt, choose two rooms — the living room and the office, perhaps — and unplug or switch off everything listed there that you don’t use each day. Your next bill will show the reduction.