Avoid Leaving Chargers Plugged In

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a collection of bad habits you aspire to change someday. They might not be particularly severe—after all, who doesn’t have something they wish they could improve about themselves?—but the fact is, these habits exist, and that’s completely normal.

For some individuals, addictions can hinder their efforts to eliminate undesirable behaviors from their lives. This could range from smoking and drinking to gambling or indulging in fast food. However, many habits stem from simple routines, meaning that there’s often nothing truly stopping you from making a change other than perhaps laziness or forgetfulness.

Take my personal experience as an example: I found it difficult to remember to unplug my phone charger from the wall when it wasn’t in use.

I can already hear you thinking: how hard can it be to unplug a charger once your phone is fully charged? The honest answer is, it’s not hard at all.

Still, I’ve lost track of how many times my partner has gently reminded me to disconnect the charger from the outlet. Until recently, I didn’t give it much thought (which, as you can guess, is part of the problem). After all, what harm is there in leaving the charger plugged in, just waiting for its next use? None, right?

As it turns out, that may not be entirely accurate. I came to realize this when I stumbled upon a social media post discussing the potential issues associated with leaving chargers plugged in when they aren’t actively charging a device.

Needless to say, I quickly changed my habits. Not only has my partner been pleased, but I also let go of my “habit” out of concern for the potential consequences of leaving it plugged in.

So, what are those potential consequences? Even when in standby mode, a charger still draws power. Sure, the energy consumption is minimal, but it still means you’re using electricity even when nothing is charging.

Additionally, leaving chargers plugged in can lead to premature wear on their internal components. Fluctuations in voltage can cause overheating, which might result in the charger smoking, and in the worst-case scenario, possibly even starting a fire.

Moreover, there’s the risk associated with the charger coming into contact with water or metal objects, which could create a full circuit.

If your household is anything like mine, you likely have children or pets wandering around. Beyond the chance of them damaging the charger by pulling it from the wall, there’s also the risk that kids might see it as a toy, increasing their curiosity about the outlet itself.

It’s important to note that most information suggests the risk of a plugged-in charger causing a house fire is extremely low, if not negligible. Modern safety standards and checks mean that leaving your charger plugged in should generally be safe, but it doesn’t account for the issues mentioned above, which you might want to keep in mind.