How much does your cell phone charge (and what are the risks of leaving it on at night)

In our hyper-connected world, having a device can certainly not be missing Mobile phone. It now represents a truly indispensable technological aid. Since in this fast-paced world a product quickly tends to become outdated, there are many people who always choose the latest models from the most famous and trendy brands.

It is estimated that about one-third of the population uses mobile phones for 7 hours per day. The average is 5 hours and they consider that only 4% use it for less than an hour. This means that despite the progress that batteries have made in recent years, a person tends to recharge his cell phone at least twice a day.

What is the amount of this process in terms of energy consumption? Have you ever wondered? Here’s the answer.

How much does your cell phone battery charge?

Members of the so-called Generation Z use it more for social content. Millennials prefer shopping, finance, and restaurant apps. Older users are limited to apps dedicated to health tracking, news, and weather. Everyone spends several hours glued to the screen. Downtime during the day has become a slave to the cell phone. Just look around while we wait in line or on public transportation: almost everyone is distracted by their smartphone. Constant use of a cell phone also increases the charging frequency, but at what cost?

a A cell phone charger consumes between 3 and 7 watts per hour With every charge. This depends on the model and battery type. The latest generation battery with fast charging will consume less than the old one, which will take longer.

Comparing these consumptions with the current kWh cost, we can say that every year we spend a fairly small amount of between 2 and 4.50 euros to recharge our cell phone battery. So, everyone can afford to recharge their cell phone without it having a major impact on their energy bill.

What are the risks of leaving it on overnight?

Charging it overnight can be a positive since the overnight rate is cheaper than the morning and afternoon rate. But leaving the phone to charge overnight means keeping it plugged in even after the battery reaches 100%, unless we wake up to unplug it. This behavior can increase costs, even slightly.

Even if it stops charging, the current charger still consumes power. It consumes less than when charging but still consumes about 2.24 watts per hour.

Even if the consumption is minimal, it will be a good idea to disconnect the battery charger when it is fully charged. But be careful, because keeping only the charger connected without connecting the cell phone is incorrect behavior. Even in this case, in fact, the adapter consumes the same power even if it is not charging.