Does Unplugging Appliances Actually Save Money? An Honest Audit
Updated 2026/03 · Savings
Few pieces of energy advice are repeated more than “unplug things to save money” — and few are repeated with less arithmetic. Let’s do the arithmetic.
What “off” actually draws
When a device is off but plugged in, it may draw standby power for remote receivers, clocks, network connections, or simply a cheap power supply that trickles. The scale:
| Device class | Standby draw | Annual cost (US avg) |
|---|---|---|
| Modern phone/laptop chargers (empty) | 0.05–0.3 W | $0.10–0.50 |
| Toaster, kettle, most “dumb” appliances | ~0 W | ~$0 |
| Microwave / coffee maker (clock) | 1–4 W | $1.50–6 |
| TV (modern) | 0.5–3 W | $1–4.50 |
| Soundbar / speakers | 1–5 W | $1.50–7.50 |
| Game console, instant-on | 10–15 W | $15–22 |
| Cable/satellite DVR | 15–25 W | $22–37 |
| Older AV receivers / subwoofers | 5–15 W | $7.50–22 |
The pattern: unplugging most things saves approximately nothing. The classic targets of unplugging folklore — toasters, phone chargers, lamps — cost pennies per year plugged in. The real money hides in a handful of media devices that maintain network connections and instant-wake states.
The five unplugs (or settings) that actually pay
- The DVR you no longer use. $20–35/yr, more in high-rate states. If you’ve moved to streaming, it’s the single best unplug in the house.
- Console instant-on → energy saver. Not an unplug — a menu setting. $15–20/yr per console, and everything still works.
- The entertainment-center cluster on one switchable strip. TV + receiver + soundbar + accessories, killed together at night: $20–50/yr for a well-stocked setup.
- The guest room / rarely-used TV setup. Devices that idle 8,760 hours to be used for 20.
- Anything with a warm power brick while “off.” Warmth is watts. Measure it, then decide — here’s how.
Total realistic ceiling for a diligent household: $50–150/yr, mostly from the media cluster — double that in California or New England rates. Worth one evening of setup? Absolutely. Worth unplugging the toaster daily for 30 years? That’s a lifestyle, not a savings plan.
Where unplugging folklore goes wrong
- “Chargers burn money all night.” A modern charger with nothing attached draws well under a watt — under a dollar a year. With the phone attached, you’re paying for charging, which was the point.
- “Unplug the microwave.” Its clock costs ~$3/yr. If re-setting the clock costs you ten seconds twice a week, you’re working for well under minimum wage.
- “The fridge at night…” No. Refrigeration is the one load that must run continuously; unplugging it costs you groceries.
- What people miss while unplugging toasters: the always-on 100+ watt floor of routers, cameras, servers, and set-top boxes — and the four-figure loads of heating, cooling, and hot water that dwarf everything in this article.
The rational policy
Do the five real unplugs once, with strips and settings so they maintain themselves. Then redirect the unplugging energy toward the thermostat, the water heater setting, and whatever tops your own bill breakdown — where the same attention is worth ten to fifty times more.