Cable Box Emerges as My Home's Biggest Energy Vampire in Standby Test

Using a $12 power meter to survey standby power draw, the author finds the DirecTV cable box as the top energy vampire at 19.9W, costing about $28/year if left on; other devices draw far less (PCs 1.8–3.1W when idle, PS5 ~0.1–1.5W, TCL TV ~0W, etc.). Some items were effectively zero in standby (dishwasher, some lamps, certain chargers). The piece notes you often must balance convenience with savings and suggests steps like powering down devices, using smart plugs, disabling instant-on features, and testing with a meter to target real culprits.