Due to their ability to operate for extended periods on a battery, cell phones, mobile phones, and even smartphones and tablets all have very high energy efficiency. While charging, cell phones typically require 2 to 6 watts. However, a charger plugged in without a phone will use 0.1 to 0.5 watts. Under ordinary usage circumstances, recharging an iPhone or Android phone will generally cost less than $1 over a year.
Even though a phone charger isn’t as energy-guzzling as devices like air conditioners or washing machines, you should be aware of how much electricity it consumes when considering your home’s energy usage.
What is the wattage of a phone charger?
Even though a phone charger isn’t as energy-guzzling as devices like air conditioners or washing machines, you should be aware of how much electricity it consumes when considering your home’s energy usage.
What is the energy consumption of a phone charger?
Phone chargers typically consume 5 watts (W) or less of electricity. While some quicker chargers can take as much as 20 W, most normal chargers are closer in the 5 W to 10 W range. Phone chargers typically connect to a 120-volt socket and draw one to two amps.
The amount of electricity used by your phone charger is significantly influenced by how frequently you charge your phone. Considering a full charge to take an hour:
• Charging your phone daily consumes 0.15 kWh per month, 1.83 kWh annually, and 0.035 kWh per week of electricity.
• Charging your phone twice daily consumes 3.65 kWh of energy annually, 0.07 kWh per week, and 0.3 kWh per month.
Although 5 W is a decent approximation for the typical phone charger wattage, several phone models are also compatible with “rapid” chargers that draw higher wattages.
What do watts, amps, voltage, and other terms mean?
You can use different words to describe how electricity moves and appliances use it. Most of them have already been discussed, but to be clear, here are a few definitions:
• Volts (V): Electrical pressure differences are measured in volts (short for voltage). Voltage can be defined as the rate at which electricity moves across a circuit.
• Amps (A): Electrical current is measured in amps, which is short for amperes. An amp is several electrons (the building blocks of electricity) passing across a circuit. Watts (W) and kilowatts (kW) are calculated by multiplying volts by amps (or wattage). Watts are a shorthand for the pace at which power is consumed. Just 1,000 watts make up a kilowatt.
• Kilowatt-hours (kWh): Lastly, your electric bill calculates your energy consumption in kWh. Kilowatt-hours are simply the amount of electricity used over some time.
These concepts can be compared to water running through a conduit. Water pressure is measured in voltage, amps measure the amount of water flowing past a particular spot, and watts measure the overall flow rate via the pipe.
What is the cost of running a phone charger?
You don’t see how much each appliance costs when you receive your monthly electric bill; you see the total amount you’re charged. Using state-average power tariffs and a standard wattage of 5 W for phone chargers (equating to around 1.83 kWh/year if you use your phone charger for one full charge every day),
For Android and iPhone phones
Most iPhones and Android phones can be charged using 5W (5V1A) power. However, at least 18W of energy is needed for rapid charging if your smartphone supports it, regardless of whether it runs iOS or Android. Higher wattage can result in faster charging, whereas higher wattage is necessary for rapid charging on higher-performance mobile phones. For example, the iPhone 12 requires at least 20W for rapid charging. Please use a USB charging cable that supports fast charging if you select a higher-wattage USB charger with a fast-charging feature. If not, the quick charging can be significantly diminished.
For tablets and iPads
Tablets offer more features and larger screens than phones, therefore their batteries are more significant and need more power to charge. Most tablets, including the Galaxy Tab and iPad, need at least 10(5V2A) 12W(5V2.4A) to charge. Some tablets also offer quick charging, such as the iPad, which can deliver up to 30W (5V 3A) electricity.
Fast-Charging Devices
Three popular rapid charging protocols are Quick Charge, Programmable Power Supply, and Power Delivery (QC). Varying procedures also support different wattages:
The USB Implementers Forum created the Power Delivery (PD) charging standard, which permits quick charging of devices over a USB connection but has been enhanced to handle higher power. The typical outputs of USB chargers using the PD protocol are 20, 25, 30, 45, 65, 96, 100, 120, and 140 watts.
A battery-friendly fast charging methodology that allows for incremental adjustments in current and voltage is called Programmable Power Supply (PPS). These USB chargers produce less heat, have longer battery life, and lower conversion losses during charging. Only a small number of Samsung laptops and models, with output powers of 25W, 45W, and 65W, currently enable PPS. Qualcomm created the Quick Charge (QC) battery charging technology, which controls the power delivered over USB. This charging protocol is supported by most of the top-selling cell phones on the market, particularly Android devices.
Although it enables a fast charging output of up to 100W, USB chargers typically have an output power of 18W. A mobile phone purchase should include a USB charger. When that occurs, it often only employs one of the above charging protocols or the charging technology created by the mobile phone maker.
Many third-party charger options are available, and they typically support more than two of the charging protocols mentioned above to accommodate your mobile devices better. Before buying a USB charger, please check to see if your smartphone supports the aforementioned rapid charging protocol. Then, choose the proper output power to make the most of the rapid charging feature and reduce charging time.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Charging a Phone
1-What time of day should a phone be charged?
If you have a time-of-use rate plan, you are billed at various times of the day for power. Utilizing appliances at “off-peak” times, typically overnight, is generally less expensive.
2-How big of a battery is required to back up a phone charger?
Most lithium-ion batteries, such as the Tesla Powerwall or Generac PWRcell, have a power rating of 4 to 5 kW or higher and 10+ kWh of usable capacity. These batteries can provide all power for a phone charger. A battery will be more than adequate to support and power your phone charger as it only needs roughly 5 W (0.005 kW) of electricity at any given time.
3-What number of solar panels are required to power a phone charger?
Phone chargers typically require 5 W of power to operate. One typical solar panel may easily power a phone charger with solar panels rated at about 350 W.
4-What exactly are ENERGY STAR products?
A system supported by the American government called ENERGY STAR verifies how energy-efficient a given piece of equipment is. An appliance is marked as “ENERGY STAR certified” if it performs a specified amount better than the typical appliance in its category. Given that they utilize less electricity, ENERGY STAR appliances are less expensive.
5-What financial savings might solar panels provide?
Solar savings come in a wide variety, and your special savings will rely on things like your location, your location’s location, and your energy rates and plans. Generally speaking, the average homeowner can anticipate saving between $10,000 and $30,000 throughout a solar panel installation.
One of the best methods to lower or do away with your electric cost is to go solar, so before deciding, be sure to receive many quotes from trusted installers.