It’s probably happened to you before: you unplug your phone, but leave the charger plugged into the outlet. It seems harmless, almost natural, especially when you’re in a hurry. However, this habit, which many of us share, can cause far more serious damage than you think. Find out why it’s essential to unplug your charger when not in use.
Risk of overheating and fire: an underestimated danger
Leaving a charger plugged in, even without a phone connected, can cause it to overheat . Why? Because it continues to draw power, generating heat. A poor-quality or defective charger can then melt, explode, or even cause a fire .
A concrete example: in 2022, a family in Spain saw their house go up in flames because a charger had been left plugged in all night . The cause of the fire? A simple charger that, while heating up, ignited a nearby piece of furniture.
Leaving a charger plugged in unattended is a bit like leaving a stovetop on : it might go well most of the time, but it only takes one time for everything to go wrong .
Phantom energy consumption: a hidden expense on your bill
Even without a device connected, a plugged-in charger consumes electricity, a phenomenon called phantom power consumption . While the amount of power consumed by an inactive charger is small, it is not zero.
To give you an idea, a charger left plugged in consumes between 0.1 and 0.5 watts per hour . This seems insignificant, but if you have several chargers permanently plugged in, this can represent up to 5 additional kWh per year , or about €2 to €5 more on your electricity bill .
To limit this unnecessary expense, consider using power strips with switches or smart plugs that automatically turn off the power when you’re not using them. A small gesture that can really make a difference in the long run .
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