Yes, but the amount depends on what's plugged in

Devices plugged into a wall outlet use electricity even when they're turned off, as long as they're connected. The amount varies wildly. A phone charger left plugged in with nothing attached draws almost nothing — less than a watt. A television, microwave, or coffee maker left plugged in draws between 1 and 10 watts continuously, which adds up over weeks and months. Some devices, like gaming consoles or cable boxes, draw 20 to 50 watts or more even in standby mode.

This electricity use is called phantom load or standby power. It happens because many modern devices keep internal circuits powered so they can respond when ready when you press a button — your TV can turn on when ready, your cable box can read guide updates, your smart speaker can listen for wake words. That constant readiness costs power.

The real question isn't whether it uses electricity, but whether the amount matters to your bill. For most households, phantom load accounts for 5 to 10 percent of total electricity use. If your monthly bill is $100, phantom load might cost you $5 to $10 per month — real money, but not dramatic.

Key Takeaways

  • Plugged-in devices draw power even when off, but the amount varies from nearly zero (phone chargers) to 50+ watts (cable boxes and gaming consoles).
  • Phantom load typically accounts for 5 to 10 percent of a household's monthly electricity bill.
  • Devices that need to respond when ready — TVs, cable boxes, smart speakers — draw the most standby power.
  • Unplugging things saves money, but using a power strip to cut power to multiple devices at once is more practical than unplugging individual items.

Which devices waste the most standby power

Cable boxes and satellite receivers are the biggest culprits in most homes. They draw 20 to 50 watts continuously because they're constantly downloading program guides, checking for updates, and staying ready to turn on when ready. If you have one running 24 hours a day, that's roughly 175 to 440 kilowatt-hours per year — a significant chunk of your bill.

Televisions draw 1 to 10 watts in standby mode, depending on the model and age. Older TVs with tube screens used more; newer flat-screens use less. Gaming consoles like PlayStation or Xbox draw 10 to 50 watts even when in rest mode, because they're downloading game updates and staying ready for voice commands.

Computer monitors, printers, and all-in-one printer-scanner-copier machines draw 1 to 5 watts each in standby. A home office with three or four devices can easily have 10 to 20 watts running continuously just waiting to be used. Phone chargers and laptop chargers draw almost nothing — typically under 0.5 watts — so unplugging them makes almost no difference.

How to measure what your devices actually draw

If you want to know exactly how much power a specific device uses, buy a plug-in power meter (also called a kill-a-watt meter). They cost $15 to $30 and plug between your outlet and the device. The meter displays how many watts the device is drawing right now, and can calculate total energy use over hours or days.

Plug your cable box into one for 24 hours and you'll see the real number. Do the same for your TV, your printer, and anything else you suspect. Most people are surprised by how much cable boxes draw and relieved by how little phone chargers use. Once you know the actual numbers, you can decide which devices are worth unplugging or putting on a power strip.

The practical way to reduce phantom load

Unplugging individual devices one at a time is annoying and straightforward to forget. A better approach is to plug related devices into a power strip and turn off the whole strip when you're done using them. Plug your TV, cable box, and gaming console into one strip. Plug your computer, monitor, and printer into another. When you leave the room or go to bed, flip the switch on the strip.

This works because the power strip itself draws almost no power when off. You're not saving the electricity the strip would use — you're cutting power to everything plugged into it at once. A TV and cable box that draw 30 watts combined will draw zero watts when the strip is off.

Some power strips have built-in timers or motion sensors, so they turn off automatically after a set time or when nobody's in the room. These cost $20 to $40 but can be useful for home offices or entertainment centers you use on a schedule.

When unplugging actually saves money

The math is straightforward: multiply the device's wattage by the hours it's plugged in per year, divide by 1,000, then multiply by your local electricity rate. If a cable box draws 30 watts and runs 24 hours a day for 365 days, that's 262 kilowatt-hours per year. At $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (the U.S. average, though rates vary by region), that's about $31 per year.

For a device you use only a few hours per week, the savings are much smaller. A printer that draws 5 watts and runs 10 hours per week uses about 2.6 kilowatt-hours per year — roughly 30 cents. Unplugging it saves money, but not much.

The biggest savings come from devices that draw a lot of power and run all the time: cable boxes, always-on smart speakers, and older refrigerators. If you have a choice between unplugging a phone charger and unplugging a cable box, the cable box matters about 100 times more.

Devices that shouldn't be unplugged

Your refrigerator and freezer need to stay plugged in, obviously. So do devices that need to maintain settings or schedules — programmable thermostats, security systems, and some smart home hubs. Unplugging these means losing your settings or missing alerts.

Some devices draw very little power but serve a purpose while plugged in. A nightlight draws 0.5 to 2 watts but you want it on. A modem draws 5 to 10 watts but you need internet. Unplugging these saves pennies per year and creates inconvenience, so it's not worth doing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a phone charger use electricity when plugged in but not charging?

Yes, but almost none. A phone charger draws 0.1 to 0.5 watts when idle — so little that unplugging it saves less than a dollar per year. You can leave phone chargers plugged in without worrying about your bill.

Will turning off a device at the power strip damage it?

No. Turning off power at a strip is the same as unplugging it. The device loses power completely and safely. The only exception is devices with unsaved work — if you turn off a computer at the strip while it's running, you'll lose any open files that weren't saved.

How much money can I save by unplugging everything?

Most households save $5 to $15 per month by cutting phantom load — usually by using power strips for entertainment centers and home offices. The exact amount depends on which devices you unplug and your local electricity rate. Cable boxes and always-on devices save the most.

Is it better to unplug devices or use a power strip?

A power strip is more practical because you flip one switch instead of unplugging multiple cords. The savings are identical — both cut power completely. Use a strip for devices you use together and unplug only if a strip isn't convenient.