Settle an argument please!

[Ed Fisher]

Hello all,

I was hoping someone could settle an argument for me - my housemate keeps coming in my room to turn off my iPhone charger at the wall insisting it’s costing us ‘£10 a month’. She does it when I’m out so the phone isn’t charging, it’s just on at the wall.

Is this £10 a month true? Everywhere I look seems to suggest it a few pence. How much is it realisticly?

She also leaves everything else switched on at the wall (kettle, TV, hair dryer, toaster) saying that because it’s not on it’s not wasting money. Is there any difference between these appliances and my phone charger?

Any help would be great!

 

[DPG]

A kettle (and hairdryer, etc.) will take no power when it is not in use, as the power to the element is fully switched off, and it has no electronic circuitry which could draw a small amount of current even in the off position. Note, an exception to this are wi-fi kettles, but surely nobody has bought one?

Electronic equipment such as chargers will take a small amount of electricity even when no phone is connected. I don't know how much this would cost a month, but it certainly won't be £10.

What I would say though is this: Never leave a phone charger (or any charger) switched on when it is not in use. The quality and safety of these chargers is not always good and they can be a fire risk.

I would also never leave a phone charger switched on overnight.

Hope this helps.

 

[Squid]

Phone chargers can fail (rarely) but the cost is negligible in the electrikery they use when no current is drawn.

On another matter though you need assertiveness lessons and tell her that next time she just waltzes in to your room turning stuff off that you'll break her legs, oh and is she fit as some of the elder members on here need some excitement in their lives so chop chop post the photos up.

 

[Christopher Bernard]

Apparently the average charger uses 3.68w which is 0.00368kw, I think it's like 14-20p per unit? (1kw is a unit).

In order to cost £10 it would have to be on for 13,587 hours (based on 20p per unit) or if it were charging for the entire month 54.7p

Unless of course I'm missing something.

 

[HandySparks]

An easy check as to whether an appliance is using power is to feel it. If you can't detect any warmth, then it won't be using any significant amount of power. Remember that it will take a while to cool down after use.

A modern phone charger will be taking less than 1 watt when plugged in but not in use. Cost will be around £1 a year on standby.

It's the replacement chargers bought on eBay that are the most likely to be dangerous. The ones supplied with the phone are usually good quality.

 

[Squid]

Unless of course I'm missing something.

Photos of flat mate........


Like the rest of us,

 

[Darkwood]

Are you sure this is your house mate and not your Parent?... surely sounds like a grumpy old bugger, feel free to show them this post and to tell them to try start chilling out a little and checking facts before going all out on you.

 

[snowhead]

They're probably wasting more power turning the light on in the room to see where to switch the charger off.

 

[Octopus]

Maybe you should remove her hair dryer ............... that will much more power "hungry" than your mere phone charger!

 

[DC-backfrom the past]

just plugged my iPhone charger in and its not even registering on the smart meter ......just saying

would agree re safety advice, i wouldn't leave them plugged in unless charging

 

[PEG]

Just put Immac in her hair shampoo...bald women don't much care for utilities

 

[dmxtothemax]

I think it is more likely that a whole house could use up to 10 quid a month, not just one single appliance !

 

[Squid]

When my son was in digs in Country they had a 10 or 12 slice toaster that would do a loaf of bread in one go, god knows how much power that drew.

 

[Wilko]

When my son was in digs in Country they had a 10 or 12 slice toaster that would do a loaf of bread in one go, god knows how much power that drew.

Hey SWD, if I recall correctly they run about 6kW or about a thousand IPad chargers

 

[Squid]

Hey SWD, if I recall correctly they run about 6kW or about a thousand IPad chargers

I think about 15 people lived in the house.......