Households with games consoles face £15.48 charges from April 1
From April 1, a tweak to the energy price cap will trim the cost of powering a games console — but not by much. For a typical player, annual electricity use for console gaming is set to come in at around £15.48 under the new rates, down from roughly £17.40. That’s a small win, although a higher daily standing charge will nibble back a little of the saving.
What’s changing on April 1?
For customers on standard variable tariffs paying by Direct Debit in England, Scotland and Wales, the average electricity unit rate moves to 24.67p per kilowatt hour (kWh). At the same time, the daily standing charge rises slightly from 54.75p to 57.21p. The regulator reviews these caps quarterly, so the April level runs until June 30, with the next update due to be announced before then.
It’s important to remember this isn’t a cap on your total bill; it’s a cap on unit rates and standing charges. Your actual costs still depend on how much energy you use.
What does that mean for your console?
Based on typical usage — around 10 hours of play per week (about 1 hour 26 minutes a day) — the shift in the unit rate nudges console-running costs down:
- Under the previous cap: about £17.40 per year, roughly 5p a day, 33p a week, or £1.45 a month.
- From April 1: about £15.48 per year, roughly 4p a day, 30p a week, or £1.29 a month.
These figures assume the console is actively in use for that time. Leaving a machine in standby, enabling always-on features, or charging accessories can push the total higher.
Your real cost can be higher or lower
Not all consoles sip power the same way. Newer models tend to be more efficient at idle but can draw more during graphically intense games, 4K/HDR output, or high frame-rate modes. Older hardware, media playback, background downloads, and game installs can also change the draw.
Other variables include:
- Standby/rest mode settings and “instant on” features.
- HDR/brightness levels and performance modes.
- Controller charging and connected peripherals.
- How many hours you actually play each week.
How the estimate is worked out
The annual totals above are illustrative and use the new average unit rate of 24.67p per kWh applied to typical console consumption and playtime. They don’t include the standing charge, which is a flat daily fee you pay regardless of usage and is rising to 57.21p per day in April. Because caps are reviewed every three months, these console-running estimates won’t stay fixed for a full year.
Ways to trim your console’s electricity use
- Use energy-saving or low-power modes; disable instant-start where possible.
- Set auto power-down after short idle periods.
- Charge controllers while the console is on, or via a low-power charger.
- Pause background downloads and installs when you’re not playing.
- Reduce 4K/HDR brightness or switch to balanced performance modes if you don’t need the highest settings.
- Turn the console off fully rather than leaving it in standby for long stretches.
Bottom line
April’s price-cap adjustment delivers a modest cut to the cost of gaming, bringing the average annual electricity use for a console down to around £15.48 for typical playtime. However, the small rise in the standing charge and the quarterly nature of the cap mean overall bills can still shift. Keep an eye on your console’s power settings — and the next price-cap update — to get the best out of your setup without overspending.
