How much energy do chargers consume if they are plugged into electrical outlets and how much do they cost in a year?
When we leave the phone charger plugged in, are we consuming electricity? Many sites have tried to answer this question, providing answers that have not always convinced the skeptics, sure of the convenience of having a charger that is always ready for use and for recharging, especially if left near the bed (recharging point for many users ).In the following guide we will show you what happens if we leave the battery charger plugged in?trying to figure out the electricity consumption of the charger even without a connected phone and what we risk if we leave it connected to the socket all the time.
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1) Measure the energy consumption of the chargers
To measure the energy consumption of an electrical outlet you can buy one socket with energy meterwhich clearly shows the consumption of any connected device.
This appliance is easy to use and works well for measure the energy consumption of anythingto be able to recognize any lamps or appliances that consume too much energy by making us pay more in the bill.
The immediate result of the test was unequivocal: inserting different chargers (keeping them not in operation) at the meter none of them showed energy consumption; a consumption of was always marked on the meter screen 0,0 watt.
However, considering that the measuring device may not be precise and may not report consumption if it is too low, another test was carried out plugging all chargers into one power strip and then this to the meter. With as many as 6 chargers plugged into the sockets, the result changed slightly and the meter showed a consumption of 0,3 watt.
2) Calculation of electricity consumption
At this point you can calculate the cost of this consumption of 0.3 watts assuming these 6 chargers are plugged into outlets 24/7 for every day of the year.
The annual consumption calculation of the battery chargers therefore becomes 2,628 will be taken (kWh); if we use the price per kWh reported by the electricity authority in Italy we have an average cost of approx 0,067 €/kWh.
Doing two quick calculations comes a consumption of €0.17 per yeara consumption that we can still sustain in order to leave the phone and tablet chargers ready for use.
3) Risks related to fires and short circuits
The risks associated with fires and short circuits are quite different. An old or poorly made magazine can suddenly explode or catch fire without warning; the damage in this case can be enormous and lead to damage to people and things.
To minimize the risk of overload or fire we suggest you always use slippers with off buttonexcellent for leaving the chargers in place while we are at home and turning everything off while we are away from home, during a storm or in the event of a sudden blackout.
We can also read our insights on the risks associated with fires Can a phone explode or catch fire? e if the phone gets hot while charging, how to fix.
Conclusions
The answer to the article’s question is very simple: nothing happens if we leave the charger connected to the current, at least as long as it is well made and original (no Chinese copies or unknown manufacturers).
Consumption is negligible and they shouldn’t affect family budgets, even if there are many chargers in the house; the greatest risk concerns fires and short circuitsbut we can keep them grounded using some excellent differentials for switchboards and using power strips with power off buttons.
Still on the subject of energy and energy saving, we can read our guides on app to control electricity, gas, Internet and telephone consumption and on advantages of using a black wallpaper on mobile.