New EU 2025 Standby Power Consumption Standards

The European Union (EU) is preparing to roll out new standby power standards for electronic devices in 2025. These regulations will require that the standby power consumption for many types of products be significantly reduced. The intention is to save billions of dollars in energy costs while also reducing CO2 emissions by millions of tons annually. 

The EU has long been a world leader when it comes to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability initiatives and legislation. One area the EU is increasingly focusing on is standby power consumption – also sometimes called “phantom load” or “vampire power” – of electronic equipment and devices. 

Why the Focus on Standby Power?

When you look at the standby power consumption of just one device, it doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal – much less than 1 kWh per month for many devices. But when you look at the big picture and take into account the millions of devices used today, standby power turns out to be a significant portion of the electricity used in households and businesses. It is estimated that standby power accounts for up to 10% of overall electricity usage in developed nations. Such wastefulness leads to higher electric bills for all and increased carbon emissions that harm the environment.

2025 Standards: Tougher Limits, Expanded Scope

Announced in April 2023, the EU’s new 2025 standby power standards are slated to go into effect on May 9th, 2025. These standards establish more stringent requirements for devices in standby mode, are applicable to more product categories than current legislation, and call for more rigorous testing and reporting procedures. The regulations are designed to spur manufacturers to engineer more energy-efficient products, helping to make a positive contribution toward Europe’s greater climate goals.

Standby power requirements are part of the EU’s overarching Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This regulation sets environmental performance standards for products from their design and manufacturing to their ultimate disposal. Under the ESPR, all electronic products sold in the EU must meet specified criteria in numerous areas, including standby power.

Reduced Standby Power Allowances

The allowed standby power consumption for devices today (under current regulations) is 1 W maximum. According to the new 2025 regulations, devices regulated by these standards cannot use more than 0.5 W in standby or off mode (and this will be tightened even further to just 0.3 W max in 2027). If a device has a display screen that is active during standby mode, the limit is 0.8 W instead of 0.5 W.

New limitations will also apply to devices with a “networked standby” mode – meaning the device maintains a network connection (e.g., Wifi) even when the product is not being actively used. The current maximum consumption for these devices, depending on the product type, ranges from 3 to 12 W. The new 2025 standards will reduce this allowance to 2 to 8 W, with the intention of motivating the development of more energy-efficient networking technologies.

Broader Product Category Coverage

The 2025 update will extend the EU’s standby power use regulations to a much wider variety of product categories than before. This is because many types of electronic devices that aren’t covered by current regulations are now very common in both homes and businesses, and they have come to contribute significantly to the total amount of electricity used by standby consumption overall. 

Currently, the regulations focus on home appliances and office machinery, such as TV sets, computers and kitchen equipment. Under the new 2025 guidelines, additional product categories will be included, such as smart speakers, gaming consoles, motor-operated furniture, automated curtains and blinds, and other devices used in smart home/smart office environments.

Here are a few examples that illustrate some of the changes and related energy savings:

• Televisions – to which the current rules apply – are currently limited to a maximum of 1W of standby power use. The new 2025 standard cuts this in half to 0.5W, producing an annual energy savings estimated at 3.65 kWh per TV left in standby for 20 hours daily.
• Smart speakers are an example of a product not covered by the current regulations that will fall under the 2025 guidelines. Today, most smart speakers use about 2-3W in standby mode. The new regulations will require this to be reduced significantly, down to 0.5W or less, which should save about 17.5 kWh per year per device
• Gaming consoles will also be included in the new regulations. Today, they generally consume 10-15W in rest mode; the expanded 2025 guidelines will allow these devices to use only 2W in networked standby. This change is expected to save about 100 kW per console per year.

Stricter Reporting and Enforcement

The EU will implement stricter compliance and enforcement measures under the 2025 regulations to ensure manufacturers comply with the new standards. For instance, manufacturers will be required to substantiate how much standby electricity their products consume with documented test results demonstrating that products meet the new requirements. 

The EU has developed an enforcement strategy to discourage non-compliance with the new energy efficiency requirements. Failure to adhere to the 2025 standards can result in penalties for manufacturers, including hefty fines as well as restrictions on trading throughout the entire EU market. 

Implications for Product Designers

The EU’s new 2025 standby power regulations will demand that product designers rethink their approach to power management. This will involve developing more sophisticated power supply units, employing advanced sleep modes and taking advantage of ultra-low-power microcontrollers for enhanced standby functions. Designers will need to balance functionality with energy efficiency more carefully than ever before. 

These regulations are likely to spur a tsunami of innovation in low-power and high-efficiency electronics. Leading designers will create new circuit designs and increase the use of the most energy-efficient components available. Some designers may find adapting to the new requirements challenging. Those who can effectively rise to the challenge and use innovative approaches to design products that meet the new standards will make themselves a hot commodity and give their careers a big boost. 

A Look into a More Sustainable Future

Given the extremely large number of electronic devices that spend a lot if not all their time in standby mode, the new lower allowances for standby power consumption will have a big impact on minimizing the overall energy consumption of electronics across the EU. The EU calculates that the new sterner limits of the 2025 regulations will decrease power consumption by about 32.5 TWh per year by 2030. This will save EU consumers about 7 billion euros while also reducing CO2 emissions by some 4.6 million tons annually. 

The new 2025 EU standby power consumption regulations are sound elements of the EU's long-term plan to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable development. By setting ambitious goals and prudently enforcing compliance, the EU aims to set an example for the world and inspire similar initiatives globally.