Dangerous power guzzlers Why you should never leave your charging cable plugged in
A test of cell phone power supply units shows considerable differences in standby power consumption and heat development when charging. Some models consume unnecessarily high amounts of energy and become dangerously hot.
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- A test by "Kassensturz" shows that cell phone power supplies also consume power when no phone is connected.
- However, consumption is relatively low: between 0.008 watts and 0.125 watts.
- Some chargers also get hot: one manufacturer's was over 66 degrees.
An empty cell phone battery can be problematic in everyday life or at work. A reliable charger is therefore crucial. In a test conducted by the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden, eleven of the best-selling power supply units were examined, all of which are equipped with the standard USB-A connection.
The results show big differences. Eight of the power supply units tested consume too much energy in standby mode, i.e. when plugged in without a cable or cell phone, reports "Kassensturz". Three models get too hot when charging under full load, with temperatures of up to 66 degrees. In one plug, the fuse failed during the lightning protection test.
Power supply units consume power even without a cell phone connected. The power plug from Logilink wastes the most at 0.125 watts, while the Apple model only requires 0.008 watts.
Up to 66.3 degrees
Test manager Patrick Janett from the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden illustrates this: If all Swiss people used two Logilink plugs in standby mode, they would consume the same amount of electricity as 5840 electric cars covering 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers.
Heat generation is another problem. While the power supply units from Cellularline and Samsung remain cool even under maximum load, Logilink reaches 66.3 °C. Xquisit and Ok also get very hot at over 58 °C, which leads to an unsatisfactory rating.
Damaged power supplies can cause fires, but most of the models tested are safe when new. The Logilink plug even received top marks in the safety test. Only the Aukey plug failed in a simulated lightning strike, whereby the fuse prevented a fire but the power supply was damaged.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
