Do you have a habit of leaving your charger plugged in even when you don't have your phone? Find out if this is allowed!
A very common practice among cell phone users is to leave the charger plugged into the socket even when the device is not charging. But could leaving the accessory plugged into the electrical current even without the cell phone connected to it be a risk? And what about the energy bill, will it increase a lot at the end of the month?
The phenomenon of leaving the charger plugged into the socket without the device is known as “phantom power”, which over time can result in extra expenses on the electricity bill. However, this may be the least of the risks compared to short circuits, explosions and electric shocks in some situations. Is this possible and can it pose real risks to the user’s life?
Learn more about this now and find out whether or not you should leave the charger plugged in without the cell phone battery being powered by it.
Charger in the socket
Leaving your charger plugged in is usually safe, as they undergo rigorous testing before reaching the market and the hands of consumers. The risks of short circuits are rare in these situations and can often be related to extreme weather conditions. Official chargers are very durable and are not affected by being left plugged in.
However, the situation may change if the charger is fake, and it may also harm the battery of your cell phone in the long term. Therefore, it is important that you always choose official chargers or those certified by the brands to preserve the health of your cell phone battery, as well as your life and health.
Therefore, leaving the charger plugged in without use is safe as long as you choose quality chargers.
Energy bill
One factor that can weigh a bit in the long term is the cost of your electricity bill, since leaving your charger plugged in can actually result in higher consumption. The phenomenon known as “phantom consumption” may seem insignificant, but over time it can add up to extra costs on your bill.
This phenomenon doesn't just happen with cell phone chargers, but also with other devices, such as tablets, smartwatches, and laptops. In addition, if you consider other devices such as televisions, computers, consoles, and others, the cost can increase even more.
Annual cost
Check out this very practical example: if you have an iPhone charger that is plugged into the wall 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round, it consumes about 2.28 kWh annually. Considering an average cost of R$0.70 per kWh, this results in R$1.60 of annual cost, less than R$0.15 per month.
This is a low cost at first glance. However, it is important to remember that this is the cost of just one charger plugged into the wall socket. If you take into account other devices that are also plugged in when not in use, the cost can increase even more, weighing on your energy bill. It is very common to think that a charger only consumes energy when it is connected to a device, since its function is to increase the battery charge.
The chargers They have transformers and internal circuits that continue to work even when they are not connected to any device. These circuits remain connected to the source, which results in energy consumption. However, newer chargers are designed to reduce consumption, thus saving energy.
