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Original Electric Cost Lab analysis

The Annual Cost of Always-On Home Devices

Small wattages become meaningful when they remain active for all 8,760 hours in a year.

Key finding

The highest modeled result is Home server or NAS at $227.32. Every row uses the same model so the price or equipment assumption is the changing variable.

Methodology

  • The comparison uses representative continuous wattages rather than short active peaks.
  • Annual cost uses the 17.30¢/kWh U.S. residential average.
  • Users should measure their own equipment before purchasing controls or disconnecting essential devices.
watts ÷ 1,000 × 8,760 hours × U.S. average $/kWh

Complete ranking

RankState or deviceInputModeled annual cost
1Home server or NAS150 continuous watts$227.32
2Gaming PC idle estimate45 continuous watts$68.20
3Cable or streaming box20 continuous watts$30.31
4Wi-Fi router12 continuous watts$18.19
5Printer standby estimate5 continuous watts$7.58
6Television standby estimate3 continuous watts$4.55

How to use this comparison

Use the ranking to understand relative scale, then open the linked state or appliance page and replace the assumptions with your own rate, wattage, and runtime.

Data source

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Retail Sales, residential average price. Latest monthly data: 2026-05; comparison baseline: 2025 annual. Verified 2026-08-05. Monthly prices can vary seasonally and are not utility-specific rates.

View EIA data