Although cell phone chargers are necessary to keep your phone charged and ready to use at all times, and are relatively small, they actually consume a small amount of electricity if left plugged into the wall outlet after charging.

Also, the older the phone, the more electricity it consumes unnecessarily. At the same time, the newer power adapters coming out on the market are designed in such a way that this is no longer a big deal.

Although tests using an electricity meter show that basic cell phone chargers don’t consume huge amounts of energy, and manufacturers are getting better at using energy, when all cell phone chargers in the world are added up, energy total used still amounts to significant numbers.

If you’re worried that your old charger might be contributing to the planet’s demise, there’s an easy way to test it. Simply plug it in and feel if it gets warm to the touch after a few minutes. This generally indicates that it is a linear power supply, which tends to be larger, bulkier, and less capable of converting AC current from the mains into DC current that can be used by household appliances.

Upgraded chargers are often “switch mode” or “switched” power supplies, meaning they contain small computer chips that handle the AC to DC conversion, although larger adapters of this type found in computers they still use electricity. when the power is off. A desktop computer tends to use around 2 watts when turned off, which is comparable to what a video game console might use. Other smaller adapters typically use between 1 watt and a third of a watt of power.

Once again, it’s not the individual wattage that makes the difference, but the impact all appliances around the world have in combination. Certain appliances, like DVD players that always stay on standby, are the worst offenders because they never actually turn off completely. Some printers do not have an “off” button and have been known to draw a lot of additional power from the system.

Many people use a power strip to conserve energy when appliances are not in use. All you have to do is plug your appliances into the power strip and then turn off the power strip when not in use. Of course, the easiest way to save power when using cell phone chargers is to unplug them when you’re not charging the phone. This is such a simple step, especially if you have an old cell phone, and it can make all the difference in the long run.

With some chargers, the issue of inefficiency during charging is more important than power consumption if left plugged into the wall. As a result, the EPA is taking notice and paying attention to the issue of cell phone chargers and energy conservation. Some chargers transfer less than half of the power they consume to the actual cell phone. The rest is heat.

Energy Star criteria for power adapters now exist, and manufacturers are paying attention to the new standards. Motorola is in the process of redesigning its cell phone chargers to meet the new suggestions. Samsung already got ahead of itself by introducing Energy Star chargers last year.

It all adds up in the end: If everyone with a cell phone in the US used Energy Start-qualified chargers, up to 760,000 homes could be powered for a year. Greenhouse gas emissions would also be significantly reduced.

The topic of cell phone chargers and the environment is relatively new, but with the advent of more efficient technology and the general public becoming more aware of climate change, the future looks bright.