Did you know that nearly 10% of your electricity bill literally goes up in smoke due to the standby consumption of your devices? This invisible enemy eats away at your savings without you even realising it. Discover how to track down and neutralise this phantom consumption.

Many electrical devices consume power even when you're not using them. Think about your modem or TV set left on standby for convenience, smartphone chargers or even your electric toothbrush.

Just some of the equipment that's always plugged in and consuming power without your knowledge. This consumption is often low, but it can quickly add up if you own several such devices. Every watt of standby consumption costs you nearly 3 euros a year. So there are significant savings to be made.

How much does standby consumption cost?

According to the French Agency for Ecological Transition ADEME, every home has somewhere between 15 and 50 devices on standby. The consumption of these devices can therefore represent up to 10% of your electricity bill.

According to the Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation CREG, at the average "all-inclusive" electricity tariff in March 2024 (€0.31/kWh), this amounts to approximately €90 per year charged to you without providing any additional comfort.

Unexpected benefits

In addition to making savings, eliminating standby consumption offers several benefits.

• It reduces your environmental impact. By reducing your unnecessary electricity consumption, you limit the CO2 emissions related to electricity production.
• It extends the lifespan of your devices. Constantly leaving them in standby can wear them out prematurely. Turning them off helps to preserve them.
• It gives you peace of mind. Knowing which devices are consuming power unnecessarily will help you avoid unpleasant surprises on your bills.

How to detect standby consumption?

With a standard power meter

To detect standby consumption, you simply need a power or energy meter. This device costs between 15 and 20 euros and enables you to measure the electrical power drawn by a device at any time.

Plug it into the socket and then connect the power meter to the device whose consumption you want to measure. The power meter gives the real-time consumption along with the total consumption over a defined measurement period.

It is advisable to measure the standby consumption of a device throughout the night. Multiply this consumption by 365, then by the electricity tariff. This will give you the exact annual standby consumption of the device. Consider testing the power adapters of some devices too.

With a smart power meter

There are also smart power meters that enable you to monitor all your electrical devices in one place, on a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Some models also allow you to programme scenarios to reduce your electricity bill, such as automatically turning off certain devices.

With a smart meter

If you have a smart meter, you can also track your electricity consumption in real-time, without any investment. Simply consult the display code 1.7.0 on the smart meter screen to find out your consumption at that precise moment.

There are also energy management systems that can give you more detailed information about your energy consumption per device and your overall consumption, using an app or an online portal.

Which devices consume the most in standby?

Here are the 5 devices to examine first to detect standby consumption in your home:

Sources : ADEME data (2021) and Test Achats data (2018). Cost calculation carried out based on an average "all-inclusive" price per kWh of €0.31 (March 2024).

How to eliminate standby consumption?

Once you've identified the devices that are consuming a lot of energy in standby, you must put an end to this unnecessary consumption. There are several ways to do this:

• Unplug devices. This is especially advisable for devices that remain unused for long periods or for chargers used to charge devices.
• Use power strips with an on/off switch to plug in your computer and all its peripheral devices for example. Once the computer is turned off, you can eliminate the main sources of standby consumption with a single press of the switch.
• Use energy saving plugs for the television and its peripheral devices. These plugs completely cut off the power supply as soon as you put the device in standby.
• Use plugs with timers or programme devices to shut off automatically using smart plugs. This is practical for charging a smartphone or electric toothbrush. Once the set time has elapsed, the device cuts off the power supply completely.
• Upgrade to newer devices that consume less when in standby.
• Replace old adapters with more energy-efficient models.
• Install an energy management system that can automate the behaviour of your devices.

See also: 'How much energy do my household appliances use?' & 'How can I calculate the consumption of an electrical appliance?'