Attention Xbox Series X / S owners in France and Europe, the explosion in the price of electricity may well lead you to look at your console’s power settings. Depending on the mode used, it is possible to make significant savings on your electricity bill.
As you know, the price of electricity in France and Europe will rise drastically in 2023. As the government points out on the official website Viepublique.fr, the current rise in the price of electricity is linked to several factors:
- the increase in the price of gas and the risk of a stoppage of Russian gas imports (the markets anticipate the drop in deliveries from Russia)
- reduced production of nuclear energy (shutdown of several reactors after the discovery of corrosion, maintenance schedule delayed by the health crisis)
From €50/MWh at the start of 2021, the price of electricity on the wholesale markets rose to €222/MWh in December 2021 before exceed €700 during the summer of 2022. At present, EDF’s blue tariff for individuals (tariff regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission) has increased by 44.5%, i.e. a increase of €57.22 on the MWh.
Also read: Linky meter: can Enedis cut or limit electricity in the event of a shortage this winter?
Energy saving mode on Xbox, the good idea to reduce its consumption
Knowing this, users can be motivated by the idea of reducing the power consumption of their devices, with the aim of lowering their bills. However, if you own an Xbox Series X / S in France and Europe, we advise you to take a look to your console’s power settings.
Indeed, depending on the mode adopted, it is possible to save more than 5 euros per month on the bill. In case you didn’t know, Microsoft’s consoles offer two profiles: Instant Start mode and energy saving mode. The first allows you to turn on the console in just a few seconds (as well as your TV/TV box).
Via the energy saving mode, starting the console takes much longer, namely 20 seconds according to the manufacturer. Nevertheless, electricity consumption suffers: between 11 and 13 watts for instant startand only 0.5 watts for Power Save mode.
In other words, if you leave your Xbox Series X in Instant Start mode 24 hours a day, that’s a monthly power consumption of just over $5. That is more than 60 euros per year. Even older Xbox One S’s draw around 11 watts in Instant Start mode, or nearly $4 a month. As you will have understood, opting for the Energy saving mode can significantly reduce the amount of your electricity bill.