Fact or Fiction: Leaving Your Smartphone Charger Plugged in Uses a Lot of Energy
Sneak consumption by a charger?
You have probably heard the term “sneak consumption”. When devices continue to use energy when they have been turned off, this is known as sneak consumption. A clear example of sneak consumption is the television: you see that the stand-by light is constantly on. The digital clock on your microwave also uses power. But what about smartphone chargers? Are they also sneak consumers?
Used versus new
In the past - let's, say, in the 90s, mobile phone chargers used a fair bit of power when they were plugged in even without their devices. That was noticeable: the electricity was transformed into heat, and the adapter felt warm to the touch. This was also a fire hazard.
The current generation of chargers has been modified, so that when there is no smartphone attached, the charger uses only a negligible amount of power, certainly nowhere near what the stand-by feature of a TV set uses. The smartphone charger will therefore feel cold to the touch if it is not connected to a device.
But be careful! Do you find that the charger does get warm when it is plugged in? Then it may be defective and it is advisable to replace it with a new one.
If you notice that when charging, only your cable or the connector gets warm, then you should take extra precautions and buy a better quality cable or connector, or be sure to unplug it from the socket after charging.
Conclusion: fiction!
But! Even though the impact on your energy bill is negligible, we do advise you always to unplug your charger.
