Ring Doorbell Running Cost UK: Power, Subscription, and Real Annual Costs
Real UK running costs for Ring doorbells: electricity, Ring Protect plans, data usage, and accessories. Get clear £/year examples, a calculator, and ways to cut costs.
Ring Chime Power Consumption: Quick Facts and Tips
If you’ve added a Ring Chime to your doorbell system, you might wonder how much electricity it actually sips. The short answer: it’s a tiny load, but it does add up over time. Knowing the exact draw helps you see if it will bump your monthly bill or if you need to tweak anything.
How Much Power Does a Ring Chime Use?
A standard Ring Chime plugs into a standard UK mains outlet (or can be hard‑wired). Its label usually lists a maximum draw of 0.5 W when idle and about 2 W during an alert. In real‑world use, most homes see the chime idle for the majority of the day, so average consumption hovers around 0.6 W.
Let’s break that down. A watt is one joule per second, and 0.6 W over a full month (30 days) works out to roughly 432 Wh, or 0.432 kWh. With the UK average electricity price at about £0.34 per kWh, the extra cost is less than 15 pence per month. In other words, the chime won’t make a dent in your budget.
However, usage spikes can affect the total. Each time the doorbell rings, the chime draws the higher 2 W for a few seconds. If you get 10 alerts a day, that adds about 0.017 kWh daily – still under 1 p per day. Even heavy usage stays well below a pound a month.
Saving Energy with Your Ring Chime
While the numbers are already low, you can still shave a bit more off the electricity bill. First, make sure the chime’s plug is fully inserted and the outlet isn’t sharing power with high‑draw devices that could cause voltage drops, which make the chime work a little harder.
Second, consider using a smart plug that can schedule the chime to turn off during long periods of inactivity, like when you’re on holiday. Cutting power for a week saves about 0.1 kWh – not huge, but every bit helps.
If you’ve wired the chime directly into the transformer that powers your Ring Doorbell, check the transformer’s rating. An oversized transformer can waste a few watts continuously. Matching the transformer to the actual load keeps the system efficient.
Finally, keep the chime’s firmware up to date. Ring releases tweaks that improve power management, especially for battery‑operated accessories. Updating is as easy as opening the Ring app and hitting “Check for Updates”.
Bottom line: a Ring Chime is a low‑power device that adds almost nothing to your electricity bill. By confirming proper wiring, using smart scheduling, and staying on the latest firmware, you can keep that tiny draw as tiny as possible.
So, if you’re deciding whether to add a chime, go ahead. The peace of mind you get from hearing the doorbell inside your home outweighs the few pennies you’ll spend on power.
