# Missing scheduled shutdown for non-production Compute Engine instances Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missing-scheduled-shutdown-for-non-production-compute-engine-instances Development and test environments on Compute Engine are commonly provisioned and left running around the clock, even if only used during business hours. By: Yulia Perlis Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Missing Scheduled Shutdown for Non-Production Compute Engine Instances The short version Development and test environments on Compute Engine are commonly provisioned and left running around the clock, even if only used during business hours. Yulia Perlis GCP service [GCP Compute Engine](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-compute-engine) Category [Compute](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/compute) Reference CER-0095 Type Inefficient Configuration ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. This results in wasteful spend on compute time that could be eliminated by scheduling shutdowns during idle periods. Compute Engine provides native instance schedules (resource policies with start and stop times) that can be attached to VMs, and Cloud Scheduler with Cloud Run functions can handle more complex logic. Stopping VMs during off-hours preserves boot disks and instance metadata while halting compute billing. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. Compute Engine instances are billed per second (minimum of one minute) based on: - Instance type and configuration - Runtime duration - Additional resources (e.g., persistent disks, external IPs) are billed separately ## How to detect 4 checks to find it in your estate. - Identify VMs in dev/test environments using labels, folders, or project naming conventions - Analyze instance uptime using Cloud Monitoring or billing export data - Detect instances with consistent 9-to-5 usage but continuous runtime - Check whether startup/shutdown schedules are already in place ## How to fix 4 ways to remove the waste. - Attach Compute Engine instance schedules to non-production VMs to stop and start them automatically (schedules cannot stop VMs with Local SSD disks); use Cloud Scheduler and Cloud Run functions for more complex workflows - Preserve instance configuration and state using persistent disks or custom images - Align schedules to working hours and review regularly with workload owners - Consider integrating automation with CI/CD tools or environment provisioning scripts ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Scheduling VM instances to start and stop docs.cloud.google.com](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/schedule-instance-start-stop) - [Compute Engine instances docs.cloud.google.com](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - GCP Compute Engine CER-0282 ### [Missed Use of Committed Use Discounts for Compute Engine](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missed-use-of-committed-use-discounts-for-compute-engine) Workloads with predictable, long-running compute usage continue to run entirely on on-demand pricing instead of leveraging Committed Use Discounts. For stable environments, such as production services or continuously running batch... Compute - GCP Compute Engine CER-0089 ### [Underutilized VM Commitments Due to Architectural Drift](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/underutilized-vm-commitments-due-to-architectural-drift) VM-based Committed Use Discounts in GCP offer cost savings for predictable workloads, but they are rigid: they apply only to specified VM types, quantities, and regions. When organizations evolve their architecture - such as moving to GKE... Compute - GCP Compute Engine CER-0048 ### [Underutilized GCP VM Instance](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/underutilized-gcp-vm-instance) GCP VM instances are often provisioned with more CPU or memory than needed, especially when using custom machine types or legacy templates. If an instance consistently consumes only a small portion of its allocated resources, it likely... Compute --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.