By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:35 PM on 2nd January 2012
Householders waste £134million a year overcharging gadgets such as mobile phones and laptop computers, according to a study.
One in five Britons leave their
devices plugged in once the battery is full because they are scared of
running out of power when they leave the house.
But one in ten admit they are simply ‘too lazy’ to pull the plug even though it costs them money.
Power drain: UK homeowners are burning a staggering £134million every year by overcharging gadgets such as laptops and mobile phones
A massive nine in ten owners keep gadgets on permanent charge, often unaware of the damage it could be doing, energy firm E.ON found.
Overcharging batteries reduces their lifespan and increases household electricity bills by an average £60 per year.
But a quarter of us wrongly assume constantly charging our gadgets keeps them working properly.
The most overcharged devices are laptop computers, mobile phones and iPods at 43 per cent, 41 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively, the study found.
But we also overcharge electric toothbrushes, hand-held vacuum cleaners and cordless landline phones.
People aged 18 to 24 are the biggest perpetrators, being four times more likely to stay plugged-in than those aged 55 and over.
And a third of women say they simply ‘forget’ their devices are plugged in.
Children are also adding to energy bills, with 20 per cent of kids keeping toys on regular charge.
Pollyanna Woodward, a presenter on Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, said people do not realise the harm overcharging can do.
‘There is clearly a lot of confusion about what’s good for our electronics and it is astonishing that 90 per cent of people overcharge their gadgets,’ she said.
‘Overcharging a gadget can often do more harm than good.
‘It can reduce the lifespan of batteries but, more importantly, it also prevents people from making easy savings on their energy bill.
‘By spending a few minutes unplugging ten common household gadgets when they are fully charged could save around £60 a year.’
Wasteful: A quarter of us wrongly assume constantly charging our gadgets keeps them working properly
Just under half of Britons, 46 per cent, say they would remove their gadgets from constant charge if they knew money savings could be made.
Emma Thompson, from E.ON, said: ‘We’re using more and more gadgets in our daily lives.
‘It’s crucial that we keep an eye on how much money and energy we’re wasting keeping them charging when we don’t need to.
‘It only takes small steps to get Energy Fit and make significant savings.
‘For example, when you plug in a charger, think about how long it needs to reach full charge, rather than just leaving it on overnight.
‘Generally mobile phones only take two hours to charge but most people leave them plugged in overnight.
‘By unplugging your gadgets once they’re charged, you’ll be helping to reduce your energy bills.’
Share this article:
Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have not been moderated.
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
I have energy bulbs all over the house, wall insulation, switch off chargers when batteries are full ETC….IS THE FUEL BILL ANY CHEAPER…..
Report abuse
I will begin to think about saving energy when they stop wasting energy floodlighting the buildings in London and other cities.
Report abuse
What about those items such as digital recievers/recorders, you can only leave them on standby? All it would take would be a simple program to allow the last settings to be saved.
Report abuse
I’m on my phone right now, with it plugged in yet full charged!! Hehe :-p
Report abuse
Charge your fone at work.. Simple!
Report abuse
Lindzig:
The ‘problem’ has already been solved by cleverer people than you and I. Read some of the foregoing comments.
Happy new year.
Report abuse
Have a simple mechanism which switches off the power supply going into the device once it is fully charged… Problem solved
Report abuse
Richard reading:
Further to my last comment, read your own comment of 22:10
Report abuse
Richard reading:
Get your floptop checked. My charger and computer are both cool when not in use, despite being left ‘on charge’
Report abuse
Complete rubbish. Years ago this may have been true, but for many years now, laptop batteries, etc. have been charged by “intelligent” charging circuits that stop charging when the battery is full. Once charging ceases, the chargers take almost no power.
– Steve Walker, Manchester
Really? So tell me, why is my laptop battery continue to remain hot after the laptop is turned off and te battery has been fully charged?
That’s wasted energy, where is it coming from if not from the charger that continues to feed power into the laptop?
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Related posts:
Views: 0