Who did not do it at least once? We detach the phone from the charger and run away, with the small transformer who remains there, attached to the socket. It seems completely harmless, when in reality it consumes energy even without a phone
The phenomenon has a precise name: it is called ghost consumption, given that modern chargers absorb electric current even empty. True, let’s talk about a few watts, the fact is that they must be multiplied for 365 days a year, the case that drastically changes the numbers, especially if we also think of the other appliances that are continually left on standby.
How much does this distraction really cost?
A charger always left in the socket consumes between 0.1 and 0.5 watts per hour. It seems little, right? Before cheering, let’s try to do two accounts. In one year there are about 4.4 kWh. With current electricity rates, we are talking about 1-2 euros for each charger.
Now think for a moment in your home. How many charger do you have? One in the room, one in the living room, that of the tablet, of the laptop. An average family has at least five or six, so the cost would rise to about 10-12 euros per year. It is not lucky, it is clear, but it is still money thrown away at all, without forgetting that the mobile charger represent only a minimal part of the problem, as we will see in the next paragraph.
The speech changes even more with the increases in the energy of the last few years: today a KWH costs on average 0.22-0.25 €. It means that a simple router lit 24 hours a day can get to weigh up to 20 euros a year. And a TV left on standby is equivalent to keeping a small bulb on all day, every day.
The problem widens: not just phones
As mentioned, the charger of the phones are only the tip of the iceberg, because in modern homes we now have many other devices that consume energy from off. Here is a quick list:
The sum of all these ghost consumption can reach about 10% of the total electric bill, which means, for an average family, about 50-80 euros of superfluous expenditure per year, a figure that can easily spoil the 100 euros per year in the event of multiple appliances connected simultaneously.
How to change habit in a simple way
The most obvious solution? Remove the charger after use. But let’s face it, it’s easy to forget.
Here are some practical tricks to facilitate the operation:
A small gesture, a great impact
Saving energy means breaking down the costs in the bill, as well as doing a favor to the environment: each Kilowattora saved reduces CO2 emissions and if all Italians detached unused chargers, every year we would save millions of kWh.
The next time I load the phone, remember how much the penalty is worth detaching the charger: a very simple gesture, which costs zero effort, greeting both for the wallet and for the environment.
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