Phantom Power on PG&E: What Your Always-On Devices Really Cost (and How to Find Them)

Every watt your home draws 24 hours a day costs about $3.42 a year on PG&E's E-TOU-C plan once you're above your baseline allowance. That sounds tiny until you add it up: a 2015 NRDC study of 70,000 Northern California homes found the average always-on load was 164 watts. At today's PG&E rates, a constant 164 watts works out to more than $500 a year, from devices nobody is using.

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Key facts

• 1 watt running all year = 8.76 kWh. A device that draws 1 watt nonstop uses 1 × 8,760 hours = 8.76 kWh a year. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) uses the same rule of thumb, rounded to 9 kWh. Source: LBNL Standby Power FAQ.
• The Northern California average was 164 watts always on. NRDC, with Home Energy Analytics and Stanford, analyzed smart meter data from 70,000 Northern California homes and found an average always-on load of 164 watts, nearly 23% of household electricity use. Source: NRDC, Home Idle Load (2015).
• Electronics were the biggest share. In the same study, consumer electronics (TVs, computers, printers, game consoles) made up 51% of always-on use, and other plug and hardwired loads (recirculation pumps, aquariums, ground-fault outlets and similar) made up 34%. Heating, cooling, lighting and refrigeration made up just 15%.
• E-TOU-C rates (bundled, effective June 1, 2026): summer $0.52240/kWh peak (4-9 p.m.) and $0.39940 off-peak; winter $0.39757 peak and $0.36757 off-peak; baseline credit $0.08140/kWh. Summer is June 1 through September 30. Source: PG&E Schedule E-TOU-C.
• E-1 (tiered) rates: $0.32561/kWh within baseline (Tier 1) and $0.40702/kWh above it (Tier 2). Source: PG&E Schedule E-1.

What always-on watts cost on PG&E

Always-on load runs every hour of the day, so on E-TOU-C 5 of every 24 hours land in the 4-9 p.m. peak. Averaging those hours gives about $0.42503 per kWh in summer and $0.37382 in winter. Weighting by season length (122 summer days, 243 winter days) gives a year-round blended rate of about $0.39094 per kWh above baseline. The table uses that blended rate, plus the E-1 tier rates.

The formula, so you can check it with your own numbers: watts × 8.76 = kWh per year, then × your rate. For example, 25 W × 8.76 = 219 kWh, and 219 × $0.39094 ≈ $85.61.

A note on the 164-watt row: 164 watts × 8,760 hours is about 1,437 kWh by straight math. NRDC's report describes it as "about 1,300 kilowatt-hours annually," based on its own method. Either way, the order of magnitude is the point.

These are PG&E bundled rates. If a community choice aggregator such as MCE, EBCE, or SJCE supplies your generation, your per-kWh total will differ a little; see Community Choice Aggregation Explained. Cutting always-on load doesn't change PG&E's daily Base Services Charge, which you pay no matter how much you use.

Why always-on load hurts more on PG&E

Two reasons. First, PG&E's per-kWh rates are high: every kWh above baseline on E-TOU-C costs at least $0.36757, even off-peak in winter. Second, always-on load eats into your baseline allowance before you've cooked a meal or done a load of laundry. In winter, PG&E's basic baseline in territory X is 9.7 kWh a day. A constant 164 watts uses about 3.9 kWh a day, roughly 40% of that allowance. That pushes more of your other usage above baseline, where the credit no longer applies. Our baseline allowance guide explains how it works and how to find your territory.

Step 1: Find your always-on load for free with PG&E data

You don't need to buy anything to get a first estimate. NRDC's study measured idle load the same way you can: by looking at the lowest hourly readings from your smart meter.

1. Sign in to your PG&E account and open your usage details. You can view usage by hour, or use Green Button "Download my data" for interval data. (PG&E energy usage tools)
2. Look at the overnight hours, around 2-5 a.m., on several ordinary days.
3. The lowest typical hourly reading is roughly your always-on load. 0.15 kWh in an hour means about 150 watts running nonstop. (kWh per hour × 1,000 = average watts.)

A fridge cycling on and off, or a furnace fan, will add some noise, so look at the lowest steady hours rather than a single dip. If you're with a CCA, PG&E says cost and usage data may not appear in your online account; an energy monitor (below) fills that gap.

Step 2: Find which devices are responsible

Once you know the size of your floor, find what's in it.

Plug-in meter (cheapest). The P3 Kill A Watt P4400 plugs into the wall, and you plug a device into it. It shows live watts and counts kWh over time. P3 lists it at 115 VAC with a 15 A, 1,875 VA maximum (P3 International). Measure each device in its "off" or sleep state, not just when it's running. LBNL notes that low-cost meters are reasonably accurate, but errors grow when standby draw is below about 1 watt, so don't chase fractions of a watt.

Monitoring smart plugs (measure and switch). The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (4-pack) and the Kasa Smart Plug Mini KP115 both report energy use in an app and let you switch the device off from your phone; Emporia's also has built-in on/off scheduling. Emporia's listing gives a 10 A continuous limit (15 A peak for up to one hour a day), 120 V only, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and says not to use the plugs on refrigerators, freezers, medical equipment, or routers.

Smart power strip (entertainment centers and desks). The Kasa HS300 Smart Power Strip has six individually controlled outlets, each with energy monitoring and its own schedule, plus surge protection. Its listing rates it at 15 A and 1,875 W total. It suits a TV, soundbar, game console, and streaming box sitting on one shelf. Note that its three USB ports are always on and can't be switched.

Whole-home view (hardwired loads too). Plug-in tools can't see hardwired or 240-volt loads such as a recirculation pump, well pump, or electric water heater. A panel monitor like the Emporia Vue 3 with 16 circuit sensors shows every monitored circuit, including what each one draws at 3 a.m. It installs inside your electrical panel, and Emporia highly recommends a professional electrician. Our home energy monitor guide covers it in detail.

Step 3: Cut what you don't need

Where to look first, based on what NRDC found in its home audits:

• Entertainment centers. TVs, soundbars, game consoles in "instant-on" or rest mode, AV receivers, and set-top boxes. Put them on a switched strip or a scheduled smart plug so they're fully off overnight and while you're at work. Check your console's power settings too; many have an energy-saving mode.
• Home office. Desktop computers that never sleep, monitors, printers, and speakers. Turn on sleep settings, and switch the whole desk off at night.
• Garage and utility areas. Second fridges and freezers, aquarium equipment, hot-water recirculation pumps running around the clock, and old dehumidifiers. A recirculation pump can often go on a timer for the hours people actually shower.
• Old chargers and wall adapters. LBNL's FAQ notes that almost anything with an external power supply, remote control, continuous display, or network connection draws power continuously.

LBNL's advice is to unplug rarely used devices, use a switchable power strip for groups of electronics, and look for ENERGY STAR products, which have lower standby. It also offers a realistic expectation: limited research suggests an informed, aggressive approach cuts standby use by about 20%.

Don't cut power to anything that needs it for safety or to work properly: refrigerators and freezers holding food, medical equipment, smoke and CO alarms, security systems, and your internet router if you rely on it. Keep in mind that smart plugs and smart strips draw a little power themselves, so put them on clusters of devices that draw meaningfully more than that, not on a single phone charger. And never plug a space heater into a smart plug or power strip; safety agencies say heaters go straight into the wall (see our space heater cost guide).

Does timing matter on time-of-use rates?

Not much for always-on loads, because they run every hour no matter what. Their cost depends on how many watts, not when. What time-of-use changes is the value of switching off during 4-9 p.m. In summer, each kWh you avoid in the peak saves $0.52240 on E-TOU-C (above baseline), versus $0.39940 off-peak. If you're going to schedule a smart plug to cut an idle entertainment center, covering 4-9 p.m. on days you aren't watching saves the most per kWh. For the full menu of rate plans, see PG&E Time-of-Use Rates Explained.

See what your bill says

If your bill looks high even in months when you're barely home, a big always-on load is a common reason. Upload your PG&E bill to My Big Bill for a free audit. It checks your charges against PG&E's published rates and shows how much of your usage lands above baseline and in the 4-9 p.m. peak, without inventing savings your bill doesn't support. If something still looks off, read Why Is My PG&E Bill So High? and How to Read Your PG&E Bill.

Frequently asked questions

How much does phantom power cost on PG&E?

About $3.42 a year for every watt that runs nonstop on E-TOU-C above baseline, using PG&E's bundled rates effective June 1, 2026. Within baseline it's about $2.71 a year per watt. On E-1, it's $2.85 (Tier 1) to $3.57 (Tier 2) per watt per year. Multiply by your home's always-on watts.

What's a normal always-on load for a California home?

NRDC's study of 70,000 Northern California homes found an average of 164 watts, but it varied widely from home to home. Your own PG&E hourly data overnight gives you your number: 0.15 kWh in an hour is about 150 watts.

Do things really use power when they're turned off?

Many do. LBNL says almost any product with an external power supply, internal battery, remote control, continuous display, or constant network connection draws power continuously. A plug-in meter is the only way to know for a specific device.

Is a Kill A Watt or a smart plug better for finding phantom loads?

A plug-in meter like the Kill A Watt is good for quickly testing many devices one after another. A monitoring smart plug stays in place, logs use over days, and can switch the device off on a schedule. Many people use a meter to find the culprits, then a smart plug or smart strip to control them.

Will unplugging everything cut my bill a lot?

Usually less than people hope. LBNL notes that limited research suggests an aggressive approach cuts standby use by about 20%. On a 164-watt floor, a 20% cut is about 33 watts, worth roughly $112 a year at the E-TOU-C blended rate above baseline. Worth doing, but heating, cooling, water heating, and EV charging usually matter more.

Why is my PG&E usage high at night when nothing is on?

Something is on. Common culprits are second refrigerators or freezers, recirculation or pool pumps, electronics in rest mode, aquariums, and electric heat. Compare your overnight hourly kWh in your PG&E account against what you think is running, then use a meter or energy monitor to track it down.