Homes have up to 41 devices each that will incur the extra cost next month
An energy expert has urged people to unplug their chargers saying ‘vampire appliances are real’. Chargers will continue to use energy if they are plugged in – even if they are not actively charging anything.
While one charger may only use a small amount of electricity, if you count all the chargers in your house, you will find that it soon adds up. Electricity prices are going up on July 1, 2026 for households in Great Britain on standard variable tariffs. Regulator Ofgem has announced a 13% increase in the energy price cap, raising typical annual dual-fuel bills to £1,862.
Research shows the average UK home contains up to 41 electrical devices, and of these, people use about 10 to 13 devices daily. But the rest remain plugged in – slowly draining power and adding to your electricity bill.
Some of them need to stay plugged in – like a fridge or freezer. Most can be switched off at the wall when not in use.
Glen Fariva, Lecturer in Power Electronics at The University of Melbourne, said: “You might have a phone charger plugged in next to your bed without ever bothering to switch it off at the wall or unplugging it when not in use. The same might go for a laptop charger by your desk.”
He said chargers are designed to take the AC current coming into your house and convert it into the DC current appliances need to operate, adding: “To do the conversion from AC to DC, a typical charger needs several electrical components such as a transformer, a circuit for doing the actual conversion, filtering elements to enhance the quality of output DC voltage, and control circuitry for regulation and protection.
“‘Vampire power’ is real. If you leave it plugged in, a charger will continuously draw a small amount of power. Part of this power is used to keep the control and protection circuits running while the rest is lost as heat.”
Glen said: “When we look at an individual small charger, the vampire power – also known as standby power – is negligible. However, if you add up all the chargers in your home for various devices, over time the wasted energy can be significant. Standby power is not exclusive to chargers, either; other electronic devices such as TVs draw a little bit of standby power, too.
“Depending on how many things you leave plugged in, over the course of the year it could amount to several kilowatt hours.”
The price you pay per kilowatt hour is going up to 25.11p on average after July 1, 2026. According to SAGA, you could use up to 300kWh per year on vampire appliances – which would add up to more than £75 a year on your bill just for leaving devices plugged in and switches turned on when you aren’t using them.
Glen said there is also a more serious danger of chargers failing. He added: “Chargers wear out over time when electricity flows through them, particularly when the electricity grid voltage temporarily rises above its rated value. The electricity grid is a chaotic environment and various voltage rise events happen from time to time.
“Leaving your chargers exposed to these events will shorten their life. This premature ageing shouldn’t be alarming for modern devices, thanks to their improved design and control. But it is particularly concerning for cheap, uncertified chargers. These often lack appropriate levels of protection and can be a fire hazard.”
He told The Conversation : “Although modern chargers are generally very safe and should be drawing minimal standby power, consider unplugging them anyway – if convenient. If a charger gets warmer than usual, makes noise, or is damaged in any way, it is time for a replacement. And it definitely shouldn’t be left plugged in.”
