{"id":506,"date":"2026-09-19T02:07:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/domoviq.com\/do-smart-plugs-use-a-lot-of-electricity-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T02:07:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:07:47","slug":"do-smart-plugs-use-a-lot-of-electricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/domoviq.com\/do-smart-plugs-use-a-lot-of-electricity\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Smart Plugs Use a Lot of Electricity? (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

No \u2014 a smart plug typically draws well under 1 watt of standby power on its own, which works out to a few cents a month at most.<\/strong> That’s separate from whatever you plug into it: a smart plug controlling a space heater or a window AC unit passes through that device’s full electricity use, but the plug itself barely registers on your bill.<\/p>\n

Here’s the actual math behind that number, how it changes by plug type, and when a smart plug can genuinely lower your energy costs instead of adding to them.<\/p>\n

How much electricity does a smart plug use on its own?<\/h2>\n

Most Wi-Fi and Zigbee smart plugs idle at roughly 0.3 to 1.5 watts<\/strong> just to stay connected and listening for commands, based on manufacturer spec sheets and independent teardown measurements from outlets like The Verge and iFixit. At 1 watt constant draw, that’s about 0.024 kWh a day, or roughly 8.8 kWh a year.<\/p>\n

At the US average residential rate \u2014 around 16\u201317 cents per kWh according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration \u2014 a single smart plug’s own standby draw costs somewhere between $1 and $1.50 a year. Run ten of them and you’re still under $15 annually, which is the kind of number that disappears inside a normal monthly bill.<\/p>\n

Does leaving a smart plug plugged in 24\/7 cost you money?<\/h2>\n

Yes, but not in a way you’ll notice.<\/strong> The table below compares a few common standby draws against their rough yearly cost at the national average rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Standby draw<\/th>\nDaily energy use<\/th>\nApprox. cost per year<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
0.3 W (efficient Zigbee\/Matter plug)<\/td>\n0.007 kWh<\/td>\n~$0.45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1 W (typical Wi-Fi plug)<\/td>\n0.024 kWh<\/td>\n~$1.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2 W (older or budget Wi-Fi plug)<\/td>\n0.048 kWh<\/td>\n~$3.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Even the higher end of that range is close to what a single incandescent bulb burns in a few hours. The number that actually moves your bill is what the plug controls, not the plug itself.<\/p>\n

Do Wi-Fi smart plugs use more power than Zigbee or Matter ones?<\/h2>\n

Generally, yes, though the gap is small.<\/strong> A Wi-Fi plug keeps its radio associated with your router around the clock, which pulls slightly more power than a Zigbee or Thread radio that only wakes briefly to talk to a nearby hub. Matter-over-Thread plugs tend to land at the efficient end of the range because Thread was purpose-built as a low-power mesh protocol for battery and always-on sensors alike.<\/p>\n

None of this is enough to justify switching ecosystems on power-cost grounds alone. It’s a real but marginal difference \u2014 worth knowing, not worth optimizing around.<\/p>\n

Can a smart plug actually lower your electricity bill?<\/h2>\n

It can, but only for the device it’s controlling, not through its own efficiency.<\/strong> A smart plug’s real savings potential comes from three places: cutting phantom load on electronics that draw power even when “off,” automatically shutting down devices you forget about, and \u2014 on energy-monitoring models \u2014 showing you which appliances are actually expensive to run. The Department of Energy has estimated standby power can account for 5% to 10% of a typical home’s electricity use, and a scheduled or app-controlled smart plug is one of the simpler ways to claw some of that back.<\/p>\n

A basic on\/off smart plug won’t tell you anything about usage; an energy-monitoring model will. If cutting waste is the actual goal rather than convenience, the monitoring version is worth the extra few dollars \u2014 our guide to cutting your energy bill with smart plugs and power monitors<\/a> walks through which devices are worth metering first.<\/p>\n

Should you unplug smart plugs when not in use?<\/h2>\n

For almost everyone, no. Unplugging a smart plug defeats its purpose \u2014 it can’t respond to a schedule, a voice command, or an automation if it has no power \u2014 and the electricity you’d save by pulling it is a fraction of a cent per day. The exception is a plug sitting genuinely idle for months, like a seasonal decoration controller, where physically removing it is fine and won’t affect anything.<\/p>\n

If the concern is really about safety rather than power draw, choose a plug from a brand that lists UL or ETL certification, since that testing covers overheating and fire risk \u2014 the standby wattage question and the safety question are unrelated, even though people often ask them together.<\/p>\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n

Do smart plugs draw power when the connected device is off?<\/h3>\n

Yes. The plug’s own radio and processor stay powered so it can receive commands, even while the outlet itself is switched off to whatever is plugged into it. That standby draw is the 0.3\u20131.5 W range covered above, separate from the connected device.<\/p>\n

Are energy-monitoring smart plugs less efficient than basic ones?<\/h3>\n

Marginally. The extra sensor hardware in a monitoring plug typically adds a fraction of a watt to standby draw compared with a basic on\/off model \u2014 not enough to offset the savings it helps you find elsewhere in the house.<\/p>\n

Do smart plugs use more electricity than a regular power strip?<\/h3>\n

A regular power strip with no smart features draws effectively zero power on its own; a smart plug draws a small amount to stay connected. The trade-off is that the power strip can’t schedule, monitor, or remotely control anything, so the comparison isn’t really apples to apples.<\/p>\n

How much does it cost per year to run a smart plug?<\/h3>\n

Roughly $0.50 to $3 a year for the plug’s own standby power at typical US electricity rates, depending on whether it’s a low-power Zigbee\/Matter model or an older Wi-Fi one. That’s separate from whatever appliance is plugged into it.<\/p>\n

Last updated: September 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Next: see our guide to cutting your energy bill with smart plugs and power monitors<\/a>, or check the best smart plugs for beginners<\/a> if you’re picking your first one.<\/em><\/p>\n