Several good reasons not to leave your phone charger plugged in unnecessarily

Due to laziness or forgetfulness, many of us make the mistake of leaving our phone and computer chargers plugged in when not in use. Know that this can cause a fire, unnecessarily consume electricity, and prematurely wear out the equipment.

Although it may be tempting to leave the charger plugged in without it charging your phone or computer, this habit is dangerous for both us and the planet. This also applies to the phone charging all night and in case of a storm. If laziness prevails, we recommend investing in a power strip with an off switch. This way, you can simply turn it off without unplugging the charger.

If the plugged-in charger is of poor quality or in poor condition (such as a bent or damaged cable), it can cause a fire. Indeed, its internal conductors are more likely to short circuit and overheat to provide the necessary electricity for charging the device. The transformer can then catch fire.

Charging your phone or computer without paying attention to the surrounding environment can also cause a fire. If the heat generated by the plug, while producing electricity, is not used, it accumulates in the charger and leads to overheating. Therefore, it should be done on a cool surface and away from flammable objects.

During storms and thunderstorms, it is imperative to unplug all electronic devices as they can cause a power surge in the home and lead to a fire, as explained by Femme Actuelle magazine.

The electrical consumption of a charger plugged in unnecessarily 24/7 for a whole year is not significant on the scale of one charger, but it is on the scale of the planet. Leaving 6 chargers plugged in constantly consumes an average of 2.6 kWh per year, which is 20,157,800,000 kWh for 7,753 billion people on Earth. The same goes for devices on standby.

A charger (cord + plug) left plugged in for no reason repeatedly, wears out prematurely and may not function as well even though its lifespan is generally longer than that of a phone. Otherwise, the high price of a computer charger if you had to replace it, might be enough to discourage leaving it plugged in unnecessarily.

Furthermore, a fully charged battery left plugged in all night, can damage it and make it run for a shorter time. That's why it's important to do optimized charges between 20 and 80% and follow other advice to preserve it.

If you were thinking of swapping your wired charger for a wireless one to avoid the aforementioned risks when left plugged in unnecessarily, that's a mistake. While it has the advantage of not causing overheating at the socket level, know that it consumes much more than a traditional charger. According to a comparison by 60 Million Consumers, the wireless charger consumes 26% more, and the charging time is longer. By changing the type of charger, you would only be postponing the problem. The solution is simply to unplug the charger when it is not in use."

 Sa