How to Reduce Your Smart Home’s Standby Power Usage
Smart home devices draw power even when “off,” and a house full of them adds up on the electric bill in ways that are easy to miss until you actually measure it. When I tried checking my own setup with a $20 plug-in meter, I was surprised how much of the draw came from just two devices — not the dozen smaller ones I’d assumed were the problem. Here’s how to cut standby power waste without losing the smart features you actually use.
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In This Guide
Why Standby Draw Adds Up Faster Than You’d Think
A single smart speaker or streaming stick pulling a few watts on standby sounds trivial. Multiply that across ten or fifteen connected devices running 24/7, and it stops being trivial. Set-top boxes, older smart hubs, and always-on displays tend to be the worst offenders, sometimes drawing several times more standby power than a modern smart plug or bulb. That’s where the real savings usually live — not in the small stuff.
Steps
Step 1: Identify Your Highest-Draw Standby Devices
Use a plug-in power meter to check which devices actually draw meaningful standby power — some smart devices draw negligible amounts while others (like certain hubs or set-top boxes) draw noticeably more. Don’t guess based on size or price; a small streaming box can draw more standby power than a large smart display.
Step 2: Group Low-Priority Devices on Smart Power Strips
Put devices that don’t need to stay “smart-ready” 24/7 (like TVs or gaming consoles) on a smart power strip that can fully cut power when not in use. This is the single most effective step for most households.
Step 3: Adjust Always-On Devices to Low-Power or Sleep Modes
Check device settings for a lower-power standby or eco mode — many smart displays and speakers offer this without fully disconnecting from your network, so you keep instant responsiveness while cutting draw.
Step 4: Schedule High-Draw Devices to Power Down Overnight
Use your smart home app to schedule non-essential devices to fully power off during hours you’re not using them, like overnight. This is essentially free savings once it’s set up — no daily effort required.
Step 5: Re-Audit Your Setup Every Few Months
New devices get added over time. I noticed that my own standby draw crept back up about four months after my first audit, simply because two new smart plugs and a video doorbell chime unit had joined the network without me tracking their baseline draw. Periodically recheck standby draw across your full smart home setup rather than doing this once and forgetting it.
Tips
- ✅ Keep hub devices (that other devices depend on for connectivity) on a separate circuit from devices you plan to fully power down.
- ✅ Check your utility provider for time-of-use rates — scheduling high-draw tasks during off-peak hours can save more than reducing standby draw alone.
- ✅ Label your smart power strip outlets by device so you don’t accidentally cut power to something you need mid-cycle.
- ✅ If you’re just getting started, tackle your TV/console setup first — it’s usually the highest-impact, lowest-effort change.
Warnings
⚠️ Fully cutting power to certain smart hubs can disconnect other devices that depend on them — map out device dependencies before adding anything to a smart power strip.
⚠️ Some smart locks and security devices should never be placed on a switchable outlet, since losing power unexpectedly could affect their function. Check manufacturer guidance before including security-related devices in any power-cutting plan.
References
- Utility provider energy usage guides on standby/phantom power consumption for connected devices.
- Manufacturer documentation on eco/low-power modes for smart displays, speakers, and hubs.
There’s no single industry-wide standard for reporting standby wattage, so figures can vary between manufacturers — measuring your own devices with a power meter gives more reliable numbers than published averages.
Q&A
Do smart plugs themselves use a lot of standby power?
Generally very little — the savings come primarily from cutting power to the higher-draw devices connected to them, not from the smart plug itself.
Is it worth buying a power meter just for this?
A basic plug-in power meter is inexpensive and gives concrete data rather than guessing — worthwhile if you have more than a handful of always-on devices. See our guide to setting up a Matter-compatible smart home device if you’re building out a new setup from scratch and want to plan power management in from the start.
Fact-checked based on public sources as of July 20, 2026.
