Reduce energy bills: experts say games consoles are the worst on standby

Five energy specialists told Express.co.uk that gaming consoles are the worst household device to leave on standby, and at roughly 10–15 watts in rest mode they could add about £30 a year to an electricity bill.

Energy experts have highlighted games consoles as a notable source of standby electricity use as households look to reduce bills during a continuing cost-of-living squeeze. Five specialists consulted by Express.co.uk identified consoles as the worst device to leave in rest or standby modes. They noted consoles can remain partially active for background tasks even when not being played. The conversation focused on how those background functions can add to annual household energy use. What experts reported: - Five energy specialists named game consoles as the appliance they see most often causing standby energy use. - Consoles cited include common brands such as PlayStation and Xbox, with standby behaviour likened to that of a TV. - Experts described background activities that keep consoles drawing power: quick-resume functions, background processing, network connectivity, cloud-save synchronisation, automatic updates, and powered USB ports used for charging controllers. - One expert, Martyn Fowler, estimated standby consumption at around 10 to 15 watts and said that level could add about £30 a year to a household electricity bill. - The reporting included comments from Micah Jackson-Sattler, Caleb Caviness, Megan Doser, Martyn Fowler, and Nick Barber, who all observed that consoles can contribute noticeably to standby power use. Summary: The reported impact is that consoles left in standby can increase household electricity costs by roughly £30 a year according to the experts quoted. Undetermined at this time.