Energy saving plug idea question

[Nick]

Hello,

Just a thought but when a plug is plugged into a mains outlet, say for example a phone charger, is there a way to somehow do something to the plug so it doesn't sap any energy when plugged in but not connected to the phone so it can stay plugged in all the time without usong any electricity?

I mean im a bit surpised no one has come up woth a ug that does this and im.not sure of it is even possible as im not an electrician.

If it was you could pattern then sell the idea to a big company for alot of money couldnt you?

 

[westward10]

Well the obvious solution is to unplug it.

 

[sparksfly]

hmmm.... switch it off via mains outlet switch.

 

[Nick]

No. My question is a matter of convenience as people tend to leave phone chargers plugged into the mains all the time as they have to use it regularly to charge thier phones.

So it would be great if ypu could leave the charger plugged in but it not use any power when it isnt plugged into the phone if ypu follow?

Is there something one could do to the plug. Perhaps install something?

Surely tjis needs to be invented!

 

[Spoon]

How about plugging in all the chargers into an extension lead that has individual switches for each outlet, so you can switch them off when not in use..

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

I wouldn't have thought that the power adaptor draws any current when it's not charging something.If it does though,the power consumption would be so small that it wouldn't matter.That's why no one has invented anything like you suggested.

 

[littlespark]

You get sockets with built in USB charger sockets that cannot be switched off.
Leaving a cable plugged in doesn't use any electricity.

 

[Adam W]

I think if someone was concerned enough about wasting a negligible amount of electricity to spend money on a dedicated gadget then they'd be happy to switch the socket on to charge their phone then switch it off again afterwards.

Personally I charge my phones using a USB socket on my computer. There's probably electricity there when I don't need it, I don't know, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

 

[littlespark]

I got a portable solar charger for my phone. No cost electricity.
My kid used it on her phone... then I tried it.
My wife remarked it wasn't working on my phone.
"Strange" I said... "It's been charging all night"

 

[Squid]

A charger plugged in to the mains will use a minuscule amount of electricity maybe a few pennies per year, if it was costing a fortune then it would have been invented already.

Oh and Nick, I think you need a new keyboard ;o)))))

 

[Spoon]

Oh and Nick, I think you need a new keyboard ;o)))))

or less alcohol...

 

[Lucien Nunes]

There are regulations that limit the amount of power a charger or other mains adaptor may use when idling, which as mentioned is pretty trivial. An average charger consumes a few tenths of a watt when no phone is connected, costing about 20p to run 24/7 for a year. If you have half a dozen chargers in your home, plugged in all the time, given that some of the time they will be doing useful work charging something (and using much more power to do so, obviously), then you might be spending £1 a year on standby losses.

More important is that many people buy unapproved, potentially dangerous chargers through cut-price retail channels. These often do not meet the specifications and are prone to failure, can cause electric shocks and fires, or may damage the connected phone or computer due to faulty construction. Leaving one of these powered up 24/7 is more likely to cost you money through going bang than by cranking up your electricity bill, although cheap, badly made chargers might also have high standby losses. Making sure you use only original, branded products from trustworthy suppliers is probably a better investment over a lifetime than fussing over a few kWh per year.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

You get sockets with built in USB charger sockets that cannot be switched off.
Leaving a cable plugged in doesn't use any electricity.

A lot of those USB sockets do use electricity when not in use.
In fact I think most transformers use electricity when not in use, if they’re left connected to a supply?