Most homes have devices that stay plugged in but not "on," contributing 20–30% of energy costs. Think smart home gadgets, TVs, and gaming consoles. These “vampire loads” might be sipping energy, and the costs can stack up.
The Cost of Always On
In Sense homes, the average Always On load is 251W, but it varies—a few homes even hit five-digit levels! These sneaky devices can cost $165–$308 or more annually.
Common Always On Energy Users (Average Watt Usage):
- Desktop computer: 21W
- Set-top box: 43W
- Game console: 23W
Reducing Always On could mean real savings for your wallet and the planet.
Note: Because Always On is calculated in the Sense Home app as an average over a 24-48 hour period, it can occasionally include consumption from devices that you may not typically consider as “vampire” loads, like a space heater left running during a cold spell.
How to Track Always On Devices
A little detective work can help make a list of what is always on and what it is costing. You can start to understand what is Always On in a number of ways:
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- Check the manufacturer's specs for standby power estimates and add that to your list. The specs may have been packaged with the product, and are often available online.
- Use Watt Check to measure the wattage used by suspected "vampire" devices when they are inactive, then add that info to your tracking list.
- Use smart plugs to monitor individual device consumption. With smart plugs (and dedicated circuits when available), Sense can detect a device's Always On load automatically.
Once you know how much power a device consumes in its inactive state, estimate how much time it spends in that inactive state, considering day, week, or month increments, as you wish.
Now multiple Cost x Time and you can estimate how much the devices (or a sum of many devices) adds to the Always On estimate in your Sense app for a similar time period.
So, for example:
Cost to run while inactive
x Length of time inactive
= Informed estimate of amount contributed to Always On for the time period
This information lets you see which devices to unplug and to track savings based on that action.
Related Sense Help Center articles
Track Down Your Always On Energy Hogs
Frequently Asked Questions: Always On and Device Detection
How Do I Use Sense With Smart Plugs?
Devices: Using Sense with other smart devices
Other resources
U.S. Energy Information Administration
How to Save Money With Advanced Power Strips and Smart Plugs