An expensive habit: 7 out of 10 households leave this device on standby all night – costing an extra €180 a year on electricity bills, according to Enedis.

Leaving the wrong devices on overnight quietly costs you money every single month - without you even noticing.

Plenty of people simply press the standby button in the evening. A small red light stays on. That’s exactly where wasted power builds up: it ticks along for hours and eventually shows up as a number on your bill.

Why overnight standby gets expensive

Standby does not mean “off”. Electronics remain alert: listening for signals, keeping memory active and checking for updates. Your television, set-top box, streaming stick and soundbar can sit in a half-awake state all night. No picture, no sound - but still drawing watts.

The impact grows over time. Around 7 in 10 households leave their TV set-up running like this overnight. One device on its own may feel insignificant, but several together add up to noticeable consumption. French network operator Enedis puts the extra cost at up to €180 per year. The exact figure depends on your tariff, your kit, and how long everything sits in standby.

Up to €180 a year just for being “ready” - a sum quietly sitting in many living rooms.

What does that look like in real numbers? The maths is straightforward: hours × power × unit price. If a set-up of TV, box and soundbar sits for 12 hours a night at 25 W, that’s 109.5 kWh a year. At €0.40/kWh, you’re paying just under €44 for doing nothing. If the combined overnight draw climbs to 60–100 W, the annual cost moves towards €105–€175 - without watching a single film.

How to shut off the money tap

Convenience usually beats willpower, so the best fixes are the ones that happen automatically. A switched extension lead cuts power to the TV, box and soundbar with one click. Many device menus hide eco or deep sleep settings. Set-top boxes often include a “quick start” mode: it saves a few seconds in the morning, but it costs watts all night. If you want comfort without the waste, use smart plugs with a schedule - off at 23:00, on at 06:00, done.

• Use a switched extension lead and fully disconnect the TV set-up each evening.
• Turn on Eco or Deep Sleep in the menus of the TV, box and console.
• Disable “Quick Start” on set-top boxes and enable energy-saving mode.
• Set a smart plug night schedule so it happens automatically.
• Only leave the router on overnight if you need it for internet calling or an alarm system.

Remember: each watt of standby costs you about €1.75 per year if it runs for 12 hours a night at €0.40/kWh.

What devices really draw in standby

The range is wide. Modern televisions often sit at 0.5–2 W in true standby - but network features can push that higher. Set-top boxes with “quick start” commonly land around 8–20 W. Soundbars are often 1–5 W. Games consoles vary a lot in rest mode, especially if downloads are enabled or controllers are charging.

Device	Typical standby (W)	Annual cost at 12 night hours	Note
Television (network standby)	2	approx. €3.50–€4	Wi‑Fi polling increases the figure
Set-top box with quick start	12	approx. €21	Enable energy saving in settings
Soundbar	3	approx. €5	Check auto-standby behaviour
Games console (rest mode)	8	approx. €14	Disable downloads during rest mode
Streaming stick	1	approx. €1.75	Power it via the TV’s USB so it turns off with the TV

These examples use €0.40/kWh. If your price changes, the totals change too. The principle stays the same: a few watts multiplied by many hours becomes real money.

A calculation anyone can check in under a minute

You can estimate your overnight cost in seconds:

1. Add up the standby watts for all devices involved.
2. Multiply by 4.38 (that converts 12 hours × 365 days into kWh per watt).
3. Multiply by your electricity price per kWh.

Example: 40 W × 4.38 × €0.35 = €61.3 per year. If the load rises to 80 W and your price is €0.40, you get about €140. That spread is why some homes drift towards the Enedis figure of €180.

Standby doesn’t drip water - it drips money. Stop the drip and you’ll often see it in the very next billing period.

What applies in Germany and across the EU

EU EcoDesign rules cap classic standby for many device categories at 0.5–1 W. For networked standby, higher limits apply depending on what the device needs to do. That helps, but it doesn’t solve everything. Older boxes, quick-start modes, PVR functions and external hard drives can sit well above these limits. Provider-supplied boxes may remain active overnight for updates or to buffer recordings. Check the energy options: there is often a deep sleep timetable that preserves convenience while reducing costs.

Practical tips with minimal hassle

If you have to tap through five devices every evening, you won’t keep it up. Build a routine instead: put a switched extension lead beside the TV, set a smart plug night profile, and change “quick start off, energy saving on” once in the settings. Many consoles also offer an energy-saving rest mode - no downloads and no background updates, but far lower wattage.

• Measure once a month with a plug-in energy monitor to cut through myths.
• Power the streaming stick via the TV’s USB so it turns off when the TV turns off.
• Only disconnect the router if you don’t rely on it for internet calling, smart home devices or alarms.
• Schedule recordings and updates for daytime using the device’s time windows.

Mini simulation for two typical profiles

Profile A (modern and efficient): TV 1 W, stick 1 W, soundbar 1 W - total 3 W. At 12 night hours and €0.35/kWh, that’s roughly €5.5 per year.

Profile B (convenience and quick start): TV 2 W, box 15 W, console 10 W, soundbar 3 W - total 30 W. At €0.40/kWh, you land at about €52.6 per year.

Add an older PVR box drawing 30–40 W and the total can quickly push into three figures.

Other things to keep in mind

If your home phone runs through the router, leave the router on and only switch off the TV set-up. If you have an alarm system or medical equipment that must stay connected, don’t rely on blanket schedules - instead, switch only the entertainment chain. Smart home hubs often use just a few watts, but they do need to remain reachable.

A plug-in energy monitor is inexpensive and gives you certainty. Plug your TV set-up’s extension lead into the monitor and read the overnight consumption. You’ll quickly see what’s responsible. Once you know, you can choose: eco mode is enough, or you need a physical switch.

A small switch on an extension lead achieves more than ten good intentions. One press, many quiet hours - and less on the bill.

Quick checklist for tonight

• Open the TV, box and console settings: enable energy saving, disable quick start.
• Get a switched extension lead or programme a smart plug to turn off overnight.
• Set a night profile for recordings and updates if needed.
• Check the monitor in a week to see what changed.

Cutting standby saves money and gives you control. No renovation, no new gadgets - just one habit swapped out. Starting today.