Unplug Chargers When Not Using

Amanda Peterson

Updated On: September 2, 2022  •  1 Minute Read

Money Saving Tips

This week's Frugal Friday is about as frugal as you can get. And, in true penny pinching "dad style," you can certainly hear him now - "Unplug those chargers if you're not using them!"

Why is it Frugal?

The reason we mention that it's incredibly frugal, is that chargers alone don't actually use as much energy as one might think. On average, it actually only costs around 35 cents per year to keep a charger plugged in. However, depending on household size, and how many kids have several chargers plugged in at once, those measly little cents can add up! To add, some chargers may take more energy than others.

Location, Location, Location

It also depends on what state you live in. Some states, such as Hawaii, have the highest energy rate in the nation, compared to their inner state side counterparts. According to anarticle from ZDNet, if you had ten chargers running 24/7/365, they'll costs you about $1.95 a year on average, or about $4.60 in Hawaii.

Dad Might Be Right

Dad might still be onto something, though. There have also been reports of the environmental cost of these continuously-running chargers. Millions of idle chargers left plugged in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year translate into millions of kilowatt hours wasted every year. And each kilowatt hour equals about a pound of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

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