Wasting Power Unnecessarily: The Unseen Cost of Leaving Electronic Devices Plugged In
By Axel Palm (+ - 3 Min)
High-Priced Amusement: The Unintended Expense Arising from Forgotten Charging Cables Plugged into Outlets - Expense incurred when leaving charging cable plugged in outlet.
Welcome, folks! Today, we're diving deep into a topic that seems harmless but, surprisingly, can drain your pockets and our planet's resources: the hidden energy costs of leaving your chargers plugged in. It's a common habit, powered by convenience, but one that might just be carved into our wallets without a trace.
Why Leaving Chargers Plugged In Is a Bad Idea
If you're like most of us, you probably charge your smartphone, tablet, or laptop in the same spots—the phone by the bed, the laptop at the desk, the tablet in the living room. The lure to leave the charger plugged in, thus avoiding the annoyance of constant plugging and unplugging, is strong, but beware—convenience often comes at an unexpected cost!
Evidently, we're all guilty of it. Laziness, not intention, is the culprit here, leading to wasted energy and money.
How Much Power Unused Charging Cables Consume
We did some tests for fun, using a common power meter to find out how much energy the charging cables consume when not in use. We looked at the consumption during charging and the standby mode for three charging devices: a universal USB-C charger from Anker, an older iPhone charger, and one for a MacBook Air with M1 chip.
Upon examining the results, the picture was clear... only when the device is charging do they actually consume power. In standby mode, their consumption is minimal, almost unmeasurable!
Saving Energy for the Sake of Climate and wallet: Unplug Your Chargers!
This newfound knowledge points to one conclusion: unnecessary chargers left in the socket should be a no-no! A study by Vattenfall, a Swedish power producer, found that an unused mobile phone charger consumes approximately 2.5 kilowatt-hours of power per year, a cost that might seem insignificant at first glance, but when multiplied across the country, adds up to some staggering numbers.
If we remove all our charging devices from the socket, the savings would total 82,450 tons of carbon dioxide. While these numbers are striking, even if saving the environment isn't your top priority, keeping your charging devices unplugged is essential for safety reasons. Unnoticed fire hazards from defective devices can be prevented if they aren't left plugged in.
Charging Cables* Socket* Electricity* Tablet for Seniors* iPhone* Charging Device* iPad* MacBook Air
Insights
- When left unattended, devices in standby mode typically consume a negligible amount of power, usually 0.1–0.5 watts for phone/tablet chargers and slightly more (1–2 watts) for laptop chargers.[2][3]
- By neglecting to unplug unused chargers, you may be wasting $5–20+ annually depending on your electricity rates and the number of chargers in your household.[2][4]
- Smart plugs/power strips can help eliminate standby consumption by automatically turning off power to unused devices.[4]
So There You Have It
With practicality and caution, let's rethink our charging habits. It's just one small step towards energy conservation and financial savings, but every little bit helps! Stay powered, my friends!
References[1] "TVs - one of the biggest power hogs in your home," Whirlpool, Dec. 6, 2021, https://www.whirlpool.com/blog/tvs-one-of-the-biggest-power-hogs-in-your-home/[2] "NASA's Energy Conservation Guide," NASA, https://www.nasa.gov/sites/headquarters/about/204657main_Energy_Conservation_Guide.pdf[3] "How much energy do unused electrical connections in the home consume?" Quora, Mar. 16, 2019, https://qr.ae/TUFVqX[4] "How Much Energy Does Your Home Waste?" TreeHugger, Jan. 18, 2015, https://www.treehugger.com/solar-energy/how-much-energy-does-your-home-waste-4799387[^] Laptop charger power consumption varies significantly depending on the model and specifications. A rule of thumb: a 65W laptop adapter draws between 1–2 watts in standby mode.[] Based on an electricity rate of $0.15/kWh.*
- The Commission's proposal for a directive on the labelling of foodstuffs, which includes the 'fb43015fae314464f49fdbcac83784a7' directive, might also address the issue of energy consumption by requiring clear labels on the standby power consumption of common gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and chargers.
- While discussing the hidden energy costs of leaving electronic devices plugged in, it's important to note that charging smartphones, smartphones' chargers, tablets, laptops, and other angeschlossenes gadgets are significant contributors to household energy waste.
- The article highlights that smartphones, tablets, laptops, and their chargers consume power even when not in use, leading to unnecessary energy expenditure for households.
- Adopting the proposed directive on the labelling of foodstuffs could encourage consumers to become more aware of the energy consumption of their devices, prompting them to unplug their chargers, thus saving both money and the environment (82,450 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Vattenfall's study).