A new appliance sold in the EU cannot draw more than 0.5 watts in basic standby mode—or 0.8 watts if it shows information like a clock. At current Spanish electricity prices, that half-watt running all year costs about €1.10. The red light on a modern TV is no longer the problem. The real culprits are older devices and equipment that stays “awake” on the network. Here is where standby power actually adds to your bill—and when unplugging is worth it.
- Modern standby is cheap: 0.5W continuous costs roughly €1.10 per year at €0.2509/kWh.
- EU rules are strict: Since May 2025, most appliances must use ≤0.5W in standby, ≤2W in networked standby, and ≤8W for routers.
- Target old and networked gear: Pre-2025 audio/video equipment and unnecessary network standby are the best candidates for unplugging.
How Much Does a Watt of Standby Cost?
The formula is simple: watts × hours × price per kWh. A year has 8,760 hours. Divide by 1,000 to get kWh, then multiply by your rate. One watt running continuously uses 8.76 kWh annually. At €0.2509/kWh, that costs €2.20 per year.
Eurostat data for the first half of 2026 shows Spanish households consuming 2,500–5,000 kWh/year paid an average of €0.2509/kWh, taxes included (EU average: €0.2832). This average includes fixed costs, so the marginal cost of extra kWh is likely lower. Use your own bill for precision.
Examples: 0.5W costs €1.10/year; 2W €4.40; 8W €17.58; 20W €43.96. A modern appliance in standby costs about a coffee per year. To notice, you need many devices or one drawing more than it should.
What the EU Standby Regulation Says
Since 9 May 2025, Regulation (EU) 2023/826 limits how much household and office equipment can consume when off or in standby. It replaces 1275/2008 and 107/2009, repealed that day.
Off mode (plugged in but switched off) is capped at 0.5W, dropping to 0.3W from May 2027. Standby with only a reactivation function: 0.5W. Standby with an information display: 0.8W (1.0W for dryers). Networked standby: 2.0W generally, but 8.0W for routers, modems and access points—falling to 7.0W in 2027.
Affected products include coffee makers, microwaves, toasters, consoles, speakers, set-top boxes, streaming devices, and motorized blinds and awnings. Exceptions: displays and TVs follow Regulation 2019/2021; computers follow other rules. Crucially, the regulation applies only to products placed on the market from that date. A fifteen-year-old stereo need not comply.
Which Devices Should You Actually Unplug?
Prioritise old appliances that sit unused and devices kept on the network unnecessarily. Modern gadgets with a simple standby light rarely justify the effort.
- Old audio and video gear: amplifiers, stereos, players, set-top boxes from before May 2025. The IDAE’s 2010 guide estimated a TV of that era could use up to 15% of its active power in standby, and grouping devices on a switched power strip could save over €40/year. Those figures reflect older hardware—but if you still use such equipment, check it.
- Networked standby devices you don’t use: consoles and media players set to instant-on or overnight updates. The regulation allows up to 2W each. Any device with Wi-Fi must let you disable the wireless connection (except Wi-Fi-only devices). Often a menu setting is enough.
- Forgotten chargers: each draws little, but many accumulate. Unplug them when not charging.
The router is the opposite case. It has the highest legal limit (8W, about €17.58/year), but it supports home connectivity, alarms and overnight updates. Switching it off nightly saves little and causes inconvenience.
How to Measure Your Home’s Real Standby Draw
Measure, don’t guess. A plug-in power meter between socket and device shows real-time watts. Measure each device off or in standby, note the figure and apply the formula.
Your distributor’s app can show overnight consumption when everything is “off.” That includes the fridge, so treat it as a ceiling, not standby draw. The data needs context.
Standby modes consumed 59.4 TWh across the EU in 2015, and the new rules are expected to save 4 TWh per year by 2030. Small per household, large in aggregate.
The advice to “unplug everything” has aged worse than the devices it targeted. It originated when TVs left a significant share of their consumption in standby, and Brussels has regulated it since 2008 down to half a watt. Today’s waste is elsewhere: devices too old for the rules and those kept online for convenience. Measure for an afternoon, unplug two or three real offenders, and forget the rest. Chasing every outlet for a euro a year doesn’t pay. Nor does keeping a 2009 amplifier running day and night.