BERLIN: Your phone charger isn't charging a phone, so it's not using electricity, right? Unfortunately, that's not the case, and even unused chargers tend to draw power even when no device is connected, like all electrical kit on the grid.
The wasted power from idle phone chargers is limited, but many homes have bigger and more hidden power drains: devices in standby mode.
Smart speakers, set-top boxes, games consoles and other networked gear should be switched off completely. In the EU, law requires that newer devices have a standby power of up to 0.5 watts, however not all devices are covered by this.
Large, older devices such as televisions or stereo systems also often draw significant power in standby.
Switching them all off can pay off - about 8% of your electricity bill can be trimmed by cutting out the devices on standby, according to a 2023 report from the non-profit advisory group co2online, based on findings for an average three-person household in Germany.
Some estimates are even higher, with the US Department of Energy saying standby can use as much as 10% of a household's energy, while the UK's Energy Saving Trust (EST) puts that number as high as 16%.
If you tend to forget to switch off devices fully or pull individual plugs, switchable power strips can help. They let you disconnect several devices from the mains in one go.
Tip: Set your router to turn off at night
Switching off can also make sense for your internet router. Its annual power consumption is similar to that of a fridge, the consumer advocates said.
To save energy, you do not necessarily have to unplug the router. You can instead set up a timer in its settings and temporarily disable Wi-Fi, for example at night.
How to do it: Menu layouts vary slightly by router model and provider, but the basic steps are the same:
- Open the router settings. You will need the router’s IP address, which you enter in your browser’s address bar, and your device password.
- In the router menu, look for an option called Network or Wi-Fi, then terms such as time control or timer.
- Now set the times of day or night where you don't need Wi-Fi.
Some providers also offer apps you can use to set up timers. – dpa
