Although cell phone chargers are necessary to keep your phone charged and ready to go at all times, and are relatively small, they actually consume a small amount of electricity if left plugged into the wall outlet after charging.
Also, the older the phone, the more electricity it consumes unnecessarily. At the same time, the newer power adapters coming on the market are designed in such a way that this is no longer a big problem.
Although tests using an electricity meter show that basic cell phone chargers don’t consume huge amounts of power, and manufacturers are getting better at using power, when you add up all the cell phone chargers in the world, the power total used still amounts to significant numbers.
If you’re concerned that your old charger might be contributing to the planet’s demise, there’s an easy way to test it. Just plug it in and feel if it gets warm to the touch after a few minutes. This usually indicates that it is a linear power supply, which tends to be larger, bulkier, and less capable of converting AC current from the mains to DC current that can be used by appliances.
Upgraded chargers are often “switched mode” or “switched” power supplies, meaning they contain small computer chips that handle the AC to DC conversion, although the larger such adapters found in computers they still use electricity. when the power is off. A desktop computer tends to use around 2 watts when turned off, which is comparable to what a video game console might use. Other smaller adapters typically use between 1 watt and one third of a watt of power.
Again, it’s not individual wattage that makes the difference, but rather the impact that all appliances around the world have in combination. Certain appliances, like DVD players that always stay on standby, are the worst offenders because they never actually turn off completely. Some printers do not have an “off” button and have been known to draw a lot of extra power from the system.
Many people use a power strip to conserve energy when appliances are not in use. All you have to do is plug your appliances into the power strip and then turn off the power strip when not in use. Of course, the easiest way to save energy when using cell phone chargers is to unplug them when you’re not charging your phone. This is such a simple step, especially if you have an old cell phone, and it can make all the difference in the long run.
With some chargers, the problem of inefficiency during charging is more important than the power consumption if they are left plugged into the wall. As a result, the EPA is taking notice and paying attention to the issue of cell phone chargers and energy conservation. Some chargers transfer less than half of the power they consume to the actual cell phone. The rest is heat.
There are now Energy Star criteria for power adapters, and manufacturers are paying attention to the new standards. Motorola is in the process of redesigning its cell phone chargers to meet the new suggestions. Samsung already went ahead of the game by introducing Energy Star chargers last year.
It all adds up in the end: If everyone in the US with a cell phone used Energy Start-qualified chargers, up to 760,000 homes could receive power for a year. Greenhouse gas emissions would also be significantly reduced.
The subject of cell phone chargers and the environment is a relatively new one, but with the advent of more efficient technology and the general public becoming more aware of climate change, the future looks bright.
