This sounds like a really small win. Surely electronics when they are on standby are really low users of electricity? So what is the benefit and how can it be checked?

Power (W )	Energy used per year (kWh)	Annual cost (£)	Annual carbon emissions (kgCO2e)
0.1	0.876	0.25	0.24
1	8.76	2.51	2.4
10	87.6	25.07	24
100	876	250.71	240

Standby powers are often in the range 0.1 W to 10 W, with more modern equipment tending to be in the 0.1 W to 1 W range. Electronics when operating tends to be in the range 10 W to 100 W and more for some higher power devices. The table shows that it is really worth switching equipment off when not in use: 100 W on all year round is expensive and carbon intensive! 1 W standby power on throughout the year contributes too.

Recent effort by electrical engineers to reduce the standby power consumption below 1 W may be offset by the greater number of devices plugged in, connected and on-line these days.

Have a look at what mini lights, bright dots and flashing indicators illuminate the room when it is dark at night. Then check what the power ratings are for them by looking at the power label or rating plates on the equipment or checking the technical manual or specifications.

The main benefit of switching things off standby is not so much the savings (because they are small) but the conscious act of caring even for the small things. “There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions” [LS 211]. “We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread. Furthermore, such actions can restore our sense of self-esteem; they can enable us to live more fully and to feel that life on earth is worthwhile.” [LS 212].

For other ways to save without spending have a look here.