How much does a sound system cost to run?

Figures on this page are calculated from typical appliance wattages and the price per kWh you enter, not looked up from a bill. See how we calculate this.

What a sound system costs to run: typical 60 W, about $12 a year. Adjust the figures to your own usage and electricity price.

Wattage and running cost

Based on 3 h a day at $0.18/kWh, the US average. Change the hours and the price in the calculator above.

A home sound system — a soundbar, hi-fi, AV receiver or set of powered speakers — uses modest power while playing but is a classic source of standby waste. Actual listening draws anywhere from 20 watts for a small soundbar to 200 watts or more for a big AV receiver driving several speakers, and the louder you play, the more it uses. For most homes the playing cost is small, because the system is only truly working when the volume is up.

The catch is that audio gear loves to stay warm and ready. Many receivers and soundbars sit in a standby or 'quick start' mode that keeps circuitry powered so they respond instantly, drawing several watts around the clock. Over a year that idle draw can rival the energy used actually listening, especially for a system used an hour or two a day but left on standby the rest of the time. Enter your system's playing wattage and daily hours above, and check the tips for the standby settings that matter.

The pattern here is the same one that runs through all home electronics: the device you actively use for a couple of hours is rarely the problem, while the same device kept warm and ready for the other twenty-two hours quietly is. Treating the sound system as part of a switchable entertainment cluster is the single change that matters most.

A powered subwoofer is often the part people forget to count: it has its own built-in amplifier and its own standby state, separate from the main soundbar or receiver, so a system with a sub typically has two standby draws instead of one. Wireless surround speakers add further small standby loads of their own to stay paired and ready. None of these are large individually, but a full surround system with several powered components can rack up more idle wattage than the single-box soundbar it replaced.

What a sound system costs in other countries

The figures above assume $0.18/kWh, the US average. A sound system does not change when it crosses a border — the price of the electricity it drinks does. Here is what its 66 kWh a year cost in the 14 countries with a page here, dearest first.

Each figure is in that country's own currency at its average all-taxes-included price; the dollar column is there so they can be set against each other. Ireland to Canada is a factor of 3.8 — same appliance, same hours, 3.8 times the bill. Follow a country for its real retailer tariffs and what makes up that price, or see the full electricity price comparison by country.

How to cut sound system running costs

• Switch the system off at the wall or a strip when not in use to kill standby.
• Disable 'quick start' or 'instant-on' modes if you don't need instant wake.
• Group the soundbar, TV and console on one switchable strip.
• Moderate volume uses less than blasting it — playing loud draws more power.
• Turn off a big AV receiver when you're only watching TV through the speakers you don't need.

Frequently asked questions