• 2 min read
Always-On Smart Devices Can Quietly Inflate Power Bills
CNET says standby power from smart speakers, TVs, cameras and consoles can add up fast. A few setting changes and unplugging spare devices can cut the drain.
Image: CNET
A smart home can save time, but it can also raise your electric bill in less obvious ways. In a 4-minute guide, CNET points to the cumulative effect of dozens of always-on gadgets that keep sipping power for Wi-Fi connections, updates, voice commands and background monitoring.
That slow drain is often called phantom load or vampire power. According to CNET contributor Alan Bradley, the problem is rarely one device on its own. More often, it is the combined standby usage from speakers, cameras, plugs, TVs and networking gear spread across the house.
Smart home devices driving standby power use
CNET highlights several common categories and their baseline draw:
- Smart speakers and displays: 1.7 watts or more
- Streaming devices and game consoles: 0.8 watts or more
- Smart TVs: 0.3 watts or more
- Smart plugs and power strips: 0.5 watts or more
- Smart doorbells and security cameras: 0.8 watts or more
- Smart lighting: 0.2 watts or more
- Routers and mesh systems: 4.3 watts or more
For each category, the advice is straightforward: disable features you do not use, such as continuous listening, voice wake, instant-on, quick start and continuous recording. CNET also recommends fully powering down consoles instead of leaving them in sleep mode, lowering motion sensitivity on cameras, and removing smart bulbs or plugs from low-use areas like closets or basements.
For networking gear, the tradeoff is less attractive. Routers and mesh systems run 24/7, and CNET says the savings from shutting them down may not be worth the hassle, though older hardware could be replaced with a more efficient model.
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One easy fix: smart power strips
Bradley’s simplest recommendation is a smart power strip, specifically the Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip, which CNET says is its pick for best surge protector. These strips can cut power to accessories like a streaming box, soundbar or gaming console when a main device such as a TV turns off, wiping out standby draw across several products at once.
Bradley writes that after auditing his own setup with an inexpensive energy meter, he was surprised by the results. The bigger point: a quick device audit and a few setting changes can trim wasted electricity without giving up the convenience of a connected home.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via CNET
