Saving Electric, quick question:

gemmaj

OK, so everyone knows not to leave the TV (etc etc) on standby and to fit energy saving light bulbs and that stuff.

But do things without lights on them use electric? Is my toaster and kettle using electric? Does electric flow through my mobile phone charger - which is not charging my phone at the mo, but is nonetheless plugged in?

Ta for any answers!

mirakl

No. There should no no electricity used if there's nothing to run. You're fine leaving anything on that doesn't have a light.

paul_h

gemmaj wrote:

But do things without lights on them use electric? Is my toaster and kettle using electric? Does electric flow through my mobile phone charger - which is not charging my phone at the mo, but is nonetheless plugged in?

Toaster and Kettle - No. When you switch these devices off, the supply is disconnected and no current can flow. Generally applies to all devices with some type of main switch, even if it is connected to a manual pop-up.

Mobile Phone Charger - Yes. This will use a small amount of electricity, which will increase when a load is applied to the output, i.e. your phone is plugged in. This is because the input is not directly connected to the output, but via transformer and regulator, or possibly an electronic inverter, which consume a small amount of power over and above the output - the circuit will maintain the output voltage even if it is not connected to anything.

Ticklemouse

It said on the tv the other day that if you left your phone charger switched on all year even when you weren't charging, it would cost £30 per year :eek: (At least I think that's what they said - was certainly a huge amount)

Also, from a safety point of view - they get hot and are a fire risk. Always switch off for this reason alone.

justin138

Why doesn't electricity leak out of the socket when nothing is plugged in? Is it sort of like a tap? When you turn the tap off no water comes out (of course), but what happens if you leave the ON button on?

squeaky

Hi

Electricity needs a conductor such as metal wire to go along AND it needs a complete circle out from the live and back to the neutral.

With nothing plugged in the socket then there's only air, and air is a very good insulator, so nothing leaks.

HTH

justin138

That's such a brilliant idea! Why didn't the water company think of that when putting in pipes!! Maybe we wouldn't have so many leaks then. Thanks for the answer btw, I've often wondered about it.

Jo (poor long-suffering Justin's wife)

Sultana

Phone chargers vary but if it is warm it is using power. Don't forget the PC. That may consume quite a bit of electricity if it is left on all the time. There are various power saving/hibernate settings that you can apply which may be worth fiddling around with.

Bogof_Babe

I always switch off the PC monitor and tower at night, but I leave the modem connected (unless it is stormy weather) because it's under the desk. Is this wise/unwise/expensive? All I can see is the red light on my multi-extension socket, so it doesn't appear to be a high user of power - no more than the LCD display on the fixed line phone.

maryb

we've got an electricity leak!

joking apart, we seem to have a problem with our wiring as fuses keep blowing. we think some conduit buried in a concrete floor may have corroded (V old house) causing it to short. that would also explain why our consumption seems higher than I can account for based on the appliances we use overnight (reading meter immediatley before bed and then first thing in the morning

I see disruption and expense looming

paul_h

maryb wrote:

we've got an electricity leak!

joking apart, we seem to have a problem with our wiring as fuses keep blowing. we think some conduit buried in a concrete floor may have corroded (V old house) causing it to short. that would also explain why our consumption seems higher than I can account for based on the appliances we use overnight (reading meter immediatley before bed and then first thing in the morning

An electrician will be able to locate any damaged cable in minutes with an insulation tester. If you have a short in cabling, this will produce heat and heat starts fires. Even if it is somewhere relatively 'safe', copper is an excellent conductor of heat and the damage will travel along a cable to melt the insulation where it can do more damage.

I would recommend you get this checked out sooner rather than later.