Is it dangerous to leave the phone charger connected to electricity? Here are the costs and risks of this habit
Leaving your charger plugged into an electrical outlet all day is a common practice. Many people do it, while others consider it dangerous or think it costs a lot of money. How much truth is there to this? The truth is that it usually doesn’t cause problems and hardly involves any expense; however, it is not recommended, and we will explain why.
Let's go through the parts. We will start by solving a classic question: is it dangerous to leave the charger connected to the electricity? Chargers are currently considered completely safe because they include protection measures and are designed so that energy does not accumulate in the event that the mobile phone is not connected.
That's why leaving the charger plugged in is not dangerous. Be careful, because there can always be exceptions and accidents, but usually they are caused by a defect in its construction or because they are uncertified counterfeit products. That's why it is advisable to use chargers that are certified by the phone brand.
It used to be different. As with everything, charger technology has gradually improved year by year. In the past, it was unsafe and could easily cause fires or accidents, but today the situation is different. A charger rarely causes an accident unless it is a fake charger. However, if you want to reduce the small probability to 0, you can always unplug it.
- How much does it cost to leave the charger connected?
“Unplug the charger, or it wastes energy.” Most of us have heard this phrase at some point, and there is some truth to it, but very little. As we noted in the previous section, chargers are designed to barely accumulate energy when there is no mobile phone connected. This prevents accidents, energy consumption, and therefore the high cost of leaving it plugged in.
However, it will always consume something. Leaving the charger plugged in for 16 hours a day, 365 days a year, costs 14 cents a year.
- Why should we disconnect the charger?
There is a reason why we should not keep the charger plugged in, and it is related to the previous section. This is the accumulated consumption of millions of people. A charger connected to one person involves a minimum consumption of very few watts; however, if we are many in the family and all have chargers, the amount spent will multiply.
It's okay to leave the charger plugged in one day, but it's better to unplug it because that will help save energy. It's a small contribution, but it will be something, and if combined with the gesture of millions of people, it will be a huge environmental advance.