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Most of us do it without thinking: plug in the phone before bed and wake up to a fully charged device. But Spanish consumer experts are warning that this seemingly harmless habit could be costing households more than they realise, while potentially damaging their devices in the process.

 

New research from Spain's Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) suggests that charging our phones overnight when they don't need that much time to reach full battery can add up to 10% more to annual spending on electricity.

 

While that might not sound like much per household, across millions of Spanish homes, it adds up to significant unnecessary costs.

 

Leaving a smartphone plugged in all night has a very small impact on your electricity bill in and of itself, with daily consumption averaging just 0.030-0.040 kWh for a full charge. Over a year, that works out to a full daily charge costing between €1.64 and €2.20 per year based on average Spanish electricity prices.

 

But here's where it gets more expensive: leaving chargers plugged in when not actively charging still draws what experts call "phantom" power. While tiny on its own, when you factor in laptops, tablets and other devices doing the same thing, this phantom cost can reach 6.6% of total household consumption.

 

The financial cost is only one part of the problem. Even though modern smartphones have systems to prevent overcharging, charging overnight can generate small charge-discharge cycles when the battery level drops slightly, which accelerates battery degradation over time. There's also the risk of overheating, especially if phones are covered while charging or if you're using cheap, uncertified chargers.

 

Spanish tech experts recommend breaking the overnight charging habit and switching to daytime or short charging sessions instead. The key is avoiding charging it all night and using only original or certified chargers to protect both your device and yourself.

 

For optimal battery health, specialists suggest keeping the battery between 20% and 80% charged rather than constantly topping up to 100% or letting it drain completely. Avoiding extreme temperatures and activating "optimised charging" features when available can also help extend battery life.

 

Modern chargers are smarter than their predecessors and stop consuming energy when the battery is charged, but unplugging them completely is still the most efficient approach. It's a small change that Spanish households could adopt to trim their electricity bills while keeping their devices healthier for longer.

 

 

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