{"id":1073,"date":"2019-04-11T17:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T21:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sense.com\/consumer-blog\/what-is-always-on-power\/"},"modified":"2025-06-18T12:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T16:27:08","slug":"what-is-always-on-power","status":"publish","type":"consumer-blog","link":"https:\/\/sense.com\/consumer-blog\/what-is-always-on-power\/","title":{"rendered":"What is “Always On” Power?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Always On is an important concept in the Sense ecosystem and, ultimately, your home. Many devices, from consumer electronics to major appliances, silently sip energy, unbeknownst to most homeowners. You might be familiar with the concept by other names like \u201cidle load,\u201d \u201cphantom energy,\u201d \u201cphantom load,\u201d \u201cstandby power,\u201d or \u201cvampire draw.\u201d We like the term Always On because, whatever status these devices want you to think they\u2019re in, ultimately they\u2019re <\/span>On, <\/span><\/i>and costing you money and energy. If you\u2019re interested in the technical particularities of how we calculate Always On, check out <\/span>this article<\/span><\/a> in our Help Center or this visual analysis of Always On<\/a> from @kevin1, one of our volunteer Community Moderators. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, there\u2019s a good reason for a device to be always on. TVs, for example, take a substantial amount of time to turn back on and connect to a signal after being completely turned off, which is why when you press the power button, your TV screen will go dark, but will stay in \u201cstandby mode,\u201d continuing to draw power. Others, like Wi-Fi routers need to maintain a constant connection. However, devices such as microwaves and printers will also continually draw power when not in use, even though there\u2019s little concern over reboot time. Devices like these, which add to your electric bill without adding any kind of utility, are what make Always On power so frustrating.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Costs of Consumption<\/b><\/h3>\n

The economic consequences of vampire power are more substantial than you might think. <\/span>A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council<\/span><\/a> found that the energy use from Always On devices across the US accounts for 23% of power consumption in the average household, or a quarter of any given electricity bill. <\/span>Our own research<\/span><\/a> confirms this. The costs are staggering: Based on the U.S. average monthly utility bill of $111.67 and an average price of $.1289 per kWh, the typical household now spends $308 annually to keep their gadgets running continuously, even when they are not in use. That\u2019s a lot to pay for a whole lot of nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Sense homes, the average Always On usage is 251W at any given moment, but we\u2019ve seen users with Always On consumption in the staggering five-digit range as well as users sipping a measly 50W, like our very own <\/span>King of Always On<\/span><\/a>. Consumer electronics are the most common culprits, but major appliances like pool pumps and furnaces can also make major contributions to your Always On usage. Here are some common vampire power offenders and their average Always On power usage (based on <\/span>research from the US Department of Energy):<\/span><\/p>\n