It doesn't completely generalize that way. I have an old stereo which uses like 7W on standby. And an old pair or computer speakers which don't really care if I press the button to turn them off. I mean that's not the power brick, but the device after that, so a bit out of scope for this article. But if I weren't unplugging them... 10W is 26€ a year and not just a few cents.
Comment on Is it OK to leave device chargers plugged in all the time? An expert explains
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 10 months ago
You could save yourself cents per year!
They don’t actually say how much power a charger uses on standby, and make an unsubstantiated claim that they “wear out” due to “voltage fluctuations”. Sure thing.
Absolutely pointless article.
hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 10 months ago
ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 months ago
Key thing here being that they’re old…there are limits to how much power electrical equipment is allowed to consume in standby mode (at least in the EU) today, it’s not allowed to consume more than 0.5W in standby mode.
hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 10 months ago
Yes, that's why I say it doesn't generalize. But they mention this in the article. These old power bricks
from the 90s with a heavy copper transformer inside waste a lot of power on standby compared to the modern switch-mode power supplies. But times have changed. On the flipside we have a lot more electronic gadgets these days and things in fact add up. So if you have modern things like 5 smart lightbulbs in the house, then a network switch, an internet router and a wifi extender, plus a few USB chargers at the bedside, the livingroom, a TV set with a PS4 and a soundbar plus subwoofer... You're likely paying more than a few cents for that. And the things which run unattended 24/7 for decades, buried somewhere, tend to not get replaced every few years, so you might still own a power brick from the 90s. So I'd say it's worth looking into... I mean not super important, you can as well skip it and just pay the amount... But it's a thing.
IsoKiero@sopuli.xyz 10 months ago
You could save yourself cents per year!
That’s pretty much it. Maybe even tens of cents. In pre-USB era that actually made sense, Nokia chargers with a barrel jack (and other that era wall-warts) consumed even several watts on idle but (assuming a good quality) modern USB-bricks are way more efficient. They still consume a non-zero amount of power when plugged in but you’re not going to see that on your power bill. You’ll waste far mor energy if you forget your bathroom lights on overnight, even with LED bulbs.
taladar@sh.itjust.works 10 months ago
I would argue that you are much more likely to break the cable physically by constant unplugging and replugging.
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Or wear out the wall switch.
ftbd@feddit.org 10 months ago
I have never heard of someone having to replace their wall outlets due to wear and tear
Atropos@lemmy.world 10 months ago
As someone who just moved into a 1965 house - yep, plugs absolutely wear out. These are some sloppy bois.
Zak@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I’ve encountered a number of outlets in American airports that should be replaced due to wear. They have very little friction on the prongs after millions of uses.
Goretantath@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Tbh, you are supposed to ALSO unplug EVERYTHING else you arent using to actually start saving money.