Even when no one is using appliances at home anymore, this does not mean that electrical consumption has stopped completely. There is equipment that remains on in standby mode, with active digital clocks, sensors ready to respond or network functions permanently in operation. According to the newspaper, these invisible consumptions can go unnoticed in everyday life, but gain weight throughout the month on the electricity bill.
The devices that are most easily consumed without realizing it
According to the source, among the most common examples are cell phone, computer, tablet or smartwatch chargers, which can remain connected even when they are no longer charging any equipment. The same reasoning applies to televisions, consoles and sound systems that are on stand-by.
The list also includes desktop computers, monitors, speakers and printers, which often spend all night plugged in without actually being used. This is discreet consumption, but it does not disappear just because the devices are no longer in active use.
In the kitchen, the pattern repeats itself. According to the same publication, the microwave is a classic example, as the digital clock remains on the entire time the device is plugged in. The same can happen with coffee makers, toasters, electric kettles and other small appliances that keep some functions active, even when they appear to be turned off. In isolation, consumption may seem irrelevant, but the sum of several devices connected every day tends to have more impact than many consumers imagine.
What the technical recommendations say about stand-by
This idea doesn’t just appear in press pieces. The Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía, in Spain, expressly recommends avoiding the so-called phantom consumption caused by stand-by mode on televisions, computers, consoles and music equipment. The same entity suggests a simple solution: connect these devices to a strip with a switch, allowing the power supply to be cut off when they are no longer needed.
According to IDAE, the logic is to reduce waste without compromising the essential comfort of the home. Instead of just thinking about large consumers, such as the oven, dryer or heater, the recommendation is also to look at small permanent consumptions, especially when they are repeated every night of the year. It is in this detail that part of the possible savings is often hidden.
Not everything should be turned off at night
Still, it is best not to turn this rule into an automatic solution for all cases. Not all appliances should be routinely unplugged. The refrigerator, for example, is a continuously operating piece of equipment, so turning it off at night can increase subsequent consumption and harm the refrigeration system.
Therefore, the most sensible choice is to focus attention on equipment that is on standby without any real need: unused chargers, televisions and consoles on stand-by, small kitchen appliances, smart speakers and computer peripherals. According to the source, it is precisely this accumulated use that helps explain why so much invisible consumption ends up weighing on the electricity bill.
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