With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, finding ways to reduce household expenses—especially utility bills—is more important than ever. One often-overlooked culprit that quietly drives up energy costs is standby power consumption. Many household appliances continue to use electricity even when they’re not actively in use, simply because they remain plugged in and switched on.
To get to the bottom of which appliances are the biggest offenders, Express.co.uk consulted five energy experts. Their unanimous verdict? Gaming consoles are the worst devices to leave on standby.
While not every home has one, for gamers and families with children, consoles like PlayStation and Xbox are common fixtures. These devices behave similarly to televisions in standby mode: they stay connected to the mains power and keep drawing electricity for background functions.
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Micah Jackson-Sattler, owner and head electrician of Micah Electric Co., called game consoles “the worst energy-sucking devices,” explaining that they consume electricity continuously when idle, which adds up significantly over time. Caleb Caviness, energy specialist and general manager at AryCo, regularly sees gaming consoles causing spikes in household energy bills.
Standby mode allows consoles to power up quickly and install updates automatically, but this convenience comes at a cost. “These machines are very powerful and require substantial energy to operate,” Caviness notes, “which can gradually increase your electricity bill.”
Megan Doser, owner of Doctor Fix It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric, echoed these concerns, highlighting that consoles remain partially active even when off. Functions like quick-resume, cloud save synchronization, network connectivity, and charging controllers via powered USB ports all contribute to ongoing electricity use.
Martyn Fowler, founder of Elite Renewables, added, “Many people think the console is off when it’s in rest mode, but it’s still downloading updates, charging controllers, and staying connected.” He estimates that consoles use about 10 to 15 watts on standby, which can tack on as much as £30 annually to energy bills. Fowler recommends fully shutting down the console through the settings menu and switching off the plug to prevent unnecessary energy drain.
Nick Barber, co-founder of Prepaid Electricity and Utilities Now, reinforced that PlayStation and Xbox consoles are among the top household devices consuming energy even when turned off. His advice is clear: either unplug the console when it’s not in use or ensure it’s set to a complete power-off mode.
In summary, to save energy and keep your bills in check, avoid leaving gaming consoles on standby. Fully powering them down or unplugging them can lead to meaningful savings without sacrificing your gaming experience.