Explanation
Why the waste happens and who it affects.
Although the compute resource is not generating charges while stopped, the attached volumes continue to incur full storage and performance-related costs. These volumes are often overlooked in cost reviews, especially if the instance is temporarily paused or has been left in a stopped state long-term. Without regular validation, these volumes may represent unused capacity that delivers no value.
Billing model
The pricing dimensions that drive this cost.
EBS volumes are billed per GB-month of provisioned storage, with additional charges for provisioned IOPS (io1/io2, and gp3 above 3,000 IOPS) and throughput (gp3 above 125 MB/s). Charges apply continuously, regardless of whether the volume is attached to a running instance. When a volume is attached to an EC2 instance that is stopped, the instance incurs no charges - but the volume continues to accumulate storage and performance-related costs.
How to detect
4 checks to find it in your estate.
- Identify EC2 instances in a stopped state during the defined lookback period
- Check whether attached EBS volumes remain actively provisioned
- Validate whether the instance or its volumes are needed for recovery, migration, or scheduled activation
- Consult application owners to determine if the instance and its storage are still required
How to fix
How to remove the waste.
If the volume is no longer needed, back up any essential data and delete the volume to stop ongoing storage charges. Consider creating a snapshot if the data may be useful for future recovery. If the instance will be restarted soon, set a policy or reminder to revisit after a fixed period. Implement scheduled audits to catch volumes attached to stopped instances that no longer serve an operational purpose.
Documentation
Vendor references for pricing and configuration.