Do our plug sockets leak electricy?

angelaloveschocolate

I've been tring to cut power consumption by switching off everything at the plug socket when not in use. My DH says I'm wasting my time because if an appliance is not being used the socket, althought switched on, is not 'leaking electricty'. We are now in a small dispute :rotfl:and he has barred me from switching off the shower and his bedside light. I still sneakily try to switch off as much as I can.

I've set up an electricty monitor and have been checking out consumption when sockets are on/off and appliances plugged in but not going. To be honest the results more often show no additional use, however just now when I switched off the sockets were the toaster, kettle and washing machine were plugged in I did see a small decrease. Anyone able to enlighted me on this issue?

Also, was just wondering, does everyone still pull out all thier plugs before going to bed? As a child this was everyones regular bedtime routine, not so much now with all these standby buttons. I still think its a good idea though, do you?

Hope this is on the right board, I did consider the 'Gas & Electric' board, but the threads there seem to concentrate on suppliers ect.

Thank you for reading and/or replying.:)

HappyMJ

Things like showers and washing machines use about 1 Watt hour to operate the LED. That'll cost you about £1 per year to run it 24/7.

tara747

angelaloveschocolate wrote: »

I've been tring to cut power consumption by switching off everything at the plug socket when not in use. My DH says I'm wasting my time because if an appliance is not being used the socket, althought switched on, is not 'leaking electricty'. We are now in a small dispute :rotfl:and he has barred me from switching off the shower and his bedside light. I still sneakily try to switch off as much as I can.

I've set up an electricty monitor and have been checking out consumption when sockets are on/off and appliances plugged in but not going. To be honest the results more often show no additional use, however just now when I switched off the sockets were the toaster, kettle and washing machine were plugged in I did see a small decrease. Anyone able to enlighted me on this issue?

Also, was just wondering, does everyone still pull out all thier plugs before going to bed? As a child this was everyones regular bedtime routine, not so much now with all these standby buttons. I still think its a good idea though, do you?

Hope this is on the right board, I did consider the 'Gas & Electric' board, but the threads there seem to concentrate on suppliers ect.

Thank you for reading and/or replying.:)

I do this! :rotfl: Am I wasting my time?

[Deleted User]

I always remove the t.v. and cable plugs when I go to bed only because at our local neighbourhood watch meeting we had a fireman who said that t.v.s left plugged in were a fire risk as sets hold their heat at times and are a common cause of fires in the home.It takes me two seconds to unplug the set and the cable box and it gives me peace of mind mor e than anything else.My computer I switch off at the plug when I finish using it .I think apart from the fridge-freezer and the phone they are the only things left switched on.

toddles*

I know mobile phone chargers are bad for wasting electricty when they are plugged in but not being used. My phone when I unplug it from a charge even reminds me to turn off the charger, but not sure about the kettle/toaster etc.

Biggles

toddles* wrote: »

I know mobile phone chargers are bad for wasting electricty when they are plugged in but not being used.

Not these days, the modern ones sense when the device is fully charged and they cut out.

david39

Anything with an LED light on will be using electricity, albeit a small amount for the light, but other circuits in whatever it is may also be running.

Main culprits are television sets. Some have two levels of "standby" where the set drops down to a standby mode ready for switching back on with a fast warm-up time. When it has not been in use for some time, it falls to a further, lower, state of readiness so that when switched on it it takes longer to boot up. Both of these states will use a small amount of electricity, the lowest state using the least.

With some television sets, the standby mode means that a circuit will power up at some stage during the night to search for upgrades of the software used within the set - these are mainly the freesat models, where upgrades come via the satellite link. See http://www.dtg.org.uk/industry/download_schedule.php for more details.

birkee

I laughed at this post!
This was the idea that went around when electricity was first started being used in houses. Some people used to put plugs with no wires into the sockets to stop the electricity leaking out. (Not switched sockets in those days.) It's NOT POSSIBLE for electricity to flow without a connection to a conductor. This will normally be a wire, but can include things like water in a socket, or a finger.

If ANYTHING is switched off at the socket, it CANNOT use electricity. (Barring a faulty socket)
The equivalent is, turning off your water stop-tap, and believing that your washing machine is leaking water.

For the posts above, leaving things turned ON at the socket, but off at equipment end, CAN use very small amounts of electricity. i.e. video recorders in 'stand-by' mode. Probably 1 - 5 watts per item of (electronic) equipment Turning them off at the socket means they will just take longer to start up when you need them, and may go through the process of 'tuning themselves in' again.
(e.g. 5 watts for 24 hrs = 120 watts. or, equivalent of a 60 watt lightbulb for two hours)

It's having ANY electricity being used when people are in bed that the Fire Service are concerned about. Don't panic about it. You don't turn your electricity off at the mains when you go to bed do you? And the central heating and time clock are still running aren't they? Are you going to turn those off too? And a mains supply door bell, and the ignition system on some cookers and mains powered alarm clock etc etc etc.

beedeedee

I'm sure some academic physicist would be able to argue that it does!
Lets see......................

Biggles

birkee wrote: »

If ANYTHING is switched off at the socket, it CANNOT use electricity.

The OP understood that. She was concerned that it could 'leak' via an appliance (one that was switched off) if the power wasn't switched off at the socket.

david39

James Thurber (American humourist) came up with the idea in the early 1930's :

"Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house.

"James Thurber, My Life and Hard Times (1933)