Phantom Load / Standby Power Checker

It's the electricity a device draws while switched "off" but still plugged in and connected to power — set-top boxes, routers, and chargers with no device attached are common examples. Individually small, but they run 24/7, 365 days a year.

A modest handful of always-on devices (router + set-top box + a TV left on standby) can add roughly ₹1,359.99/year in Tamil Nadu at our example wattages — check the calculator above with your own devices and DISCOM for your real figure.

Set-top boxes and older inverters/UPS units tend to draw the most in standby mode among common household devices — routers are lower individually but run continuously in nearly every home, so they add up too.

For devices you don't need instantly available (chargers with nothing attached, appliances used rarely), yes — a power strip with a physical switch makes this easy. For a router you rely on, or a set-top box that needs to stay connected for scheduled recordings, the convenience trade-off may not be worth a few rupees a month.

They're commonly cited planning estimates for typical devices, not a measurement of your specific unit — a plug-in power meter gives an exact reading if you want precision for a particular device.

Yes — like any other load, standby draw adds to your total consumption and is priced at your marginal (top-slab) rate, since it's on top of whatever else you already use.