Usual suspects

• Cable box/DVR: 20–30 W

• Game console (rest mode): 10–15 W

• Desktop (sleep): 5–21 W

• Microwave (clock): 3–7 W

• Phone/laptop chargers (plugged in, not charging): 0.1–1 W

Does it really add up?

For a typical home, standby is ~5–10% of usage—often $50–$150/year. In gadget-heavy homes, it can be more.

Quick math: A 20 W DVR idling 24/7 = 0.02 kW × 24 h × 365 ≈ 175 kWh/year.
At $0.20/kWh, that’s ~$35 for one box doing nothing.

What not to unplug

Leave always-on essentials alone: fridge, modem/router, smoke/CO alarms, security systems, medical devices, smart-home hubs (if you rely on automations).

The lazy, high-impact plan

1. Put entertainment centers on a smart strip
   The TV stays “control,” and the strip cuts power to peripherals