Meter the always-on devices instead of unplugging everything

Meter what stays plugged in, then cut the few that draw the most: each watt a device pulls around the clock is 8.76 kWh a year, or $1.60 at 18.31 cents per kWh, the US residential average for July 2026 in EIA's Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (preliminary). DOE's 2022 Energy Saver guide says many consumer electronics continue to draw power even when they are switched off, which could add an extra 5%-10% to your monthly utility bill. One condition changes the order: older devices you rarely use and seasonal ones go first, without a reading, as on Berkeley Lab's unplug list. Renters and owners can both do this, and the meter is a small buy.

Each watt that never switches off costs $1.60 a year

The method is the one used to price any appliance: watts × hours ÷ 1,000 is kWh. A device in standby all day spends 24 × 365 = 8,760 hours a year there, so 1 watt × 8,760 ÷ 1,000 = 8.76 kWh, and 8.76 kWh × 18.31 cents = $1.60 at the July 2026 US average in EIA's Table 5.6.A. At Louisiana's 12.72 cents in the same table it costs $1.11; at Hawaii's 48.00 cents, $4.20. Use your own rate. Divide your bill's dollars by its kWh, the same division that shows whether a higher bill came from price or use.

A countertop microwave, TV or charger at its limit costs under $2 a year

Federal rules cap some of it. 10 CFR 430.32 limits a countertop microwave's average standby power to 1.0 watt if made from June 17, 2016, to June 21, 2026, and to 0.6 watts if made from June 22, 2026; its no-load caps for power bricks are in the table. ENERGY STAR's television page says certified TVs must use 0.5 watts or less in sleep mode, under the specification effective March 1, 2019.

Priced for all 8,760 hours, an upper bound, at the July 2026 US average of 18.31 cents in EIA's Table 5.6.A:

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Example, with published figures and one assumption. Take a 2020 countertop microwave, an ENERGY STAR TV and an empty charger brick left in the wall, each at its limit in 10 CFR 430.32 or on ENERGY STAR's television page, and in standby all 8,760 hours, the example's own assumption: 1.0 + 0.5 + 0.5 = 2.0 watts. That is 2.0 × 8,760 ÷ 1,000 = 17.52 kWh a year, and 17.52 × 18.31 cents = $3.21 at EIA's July 2026 US average. The TV is on part of the day and a newer brick may be held to 0.100 watts, so $3.21 is a ceiling. A device that reads well above its limit is the one worth cutting.

Meter each plugged-in device while it is switched off

Berkeley Lab's standby FAQ says almost any product with an external power supply, internal battery, remote control, continuous display or LED, or constant network connection draws power continuously. Start free. If your home has a smart meter, Berkeley Lab's meter page says it is sometimes possible to read whole-house standby when no major appliance runs, such as at 3 am while the refrigerator compressor is off. It can run high, since a light, fan or pump is easy to overlook.

Then meter device by device; the same FAQ says meters sell online for less than $50 and some libraries loan them. Plug the device into the meter, switch it off the way you normally do, and log its watts and standby hours: kWh a year are standby watts × hours a day × 365 ÷ 1,000. Most meters are reasonably accurate, the FAQ adds, but errors grow relatively larger below about 1 watt. A reading that small costs less than $1.60 a year at EIA's July 2026 US average, so log it and move on.

Cut the top of the list with a switch, a setting or a strip

Free changes come first. DOE's 2022 guide says to unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use, and to use power management settings that send computers and monitors into low-power sleep modes. Berkeley Lab's unplug list puts older appliances you rarely or no longer use first, then seasonal devices unused for many months, such as room air conditioners and dehumidifiers.

Meter set-top boxes too: DOE's guide says a home using two set-top boxes is using significantly more electricity than it takes to run a new refrigerator. For a cluster of TV, audio or computer gear, the same guide recommends advanced power strips, with timers, activity monitors and remotes, that can prevent electronics from drawing power when not in use. The strip is a small buy; weigh its price against the cluster's dollars a year from the worksheet.

Keep what has to stay on. Berkeley Lab's list says every home is unique, so think before you unplug and watch what happens when you do, and never unplug and replug a device with a worn power cord. A running second fridge is not standby; the case to unplug the second fridge starts from its own 24-hour meter reading.