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Standby energy is the electricity consumption of electrical appliances which remain connected when they are not in use. It is sometimes thought that this implies minimal consumption, barely the energy required to light a generally red pilot light (it can also be green or blue). However, this is not the case. 

According to various studies, such as that conducted by the International Energy Agency, by the British Energy Saving Trust and by the Bilbao School of Engineering, the sum total of standby energy consumption of electrical appliances varies considerably depending on the type of appliances involved, but it can represent up to 16% of the overall household electricity consumption. For an average European home this represents a waste of up to 50 euros per year.

Which electrical appliances consume the most? 

This type of energy consumption varies considerably from one kind of appliance to another. Generally, those appliances which have a remote control such as the television, DVD player, satellite decoder, music system and air conditioning consume more. This is due to the fact that they must keep the remote control receiver switched on, which requires between 0.2 and 2 watts. 

The group of electrical appliances which represents the greatest standby energy consumption is computer equipment. As such, the energy consumed by a computer in standby mode ranges between 35 and 76 watts. Printers consume two thirds of the energy they use when they are working whilst they are on standby and other equipment such as routers also consume a significant amount of energy as they must be permanently connected.

However, other appliances also consume a lot of energy. For example, 85% of the energy used by a video player is consumed without it being in use, whilst dishwashers use only 20% less than their normal consumption when they are connected but are not in use. Tumble driers, meanwhile, can use as much as 38% of their normal consumption when they are in standby mode.

Ways of reducing consumption 

Standby energy consumption is, according to some engineers, frequently higher than necessary and it would be possible to reduce it by up to 75 per cent with a relatively low cost and without affecting the appliance. Some countries have already taken measures to reduce the consumption of appliances on “standby” and there are various regulations concerning the labelling of these products to guide the consumer in this respect. This regulation seeks to reduce standby energy consumption to just 1 watt per appliance. An objective that is already fulfilled by some electrical appliances which are available on the market. In the United States, the ENERGY STAR® label is displayed on low-energy electrical appliances, whilst in Spain this logo is familiar as it usually appears when we switch on the computer.

However, there are also other ways of reducing this unnecessary electricity consumption which are available to us, as simple as unplugging the television, the DVD player and other appliances when we go on holiday. In the event that you are unsure whether certain appliances are consuming electricity, you just need to touch the transformer: if it is hot, it is consuming energy. Another option is to group the plugs from several appliances together using an extension lead with a switch. That way we can disconnect the computer and several peripherals with a single flick of the switch. Neither is it recommendable to leave transformers plugged in if they are not being used. 

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