Let’s say I have a computer plugged in, or a microwave, or phone charger plugged in. Isn’t the point of a device being off is that it’s not supposed to be using electricity? How much watts of power am I looking at that’s being consumed per hour?
Where does this apply and where does it not? Shouldn’t I try to unplug everything as much as possible to save money?
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If you plug a *charger* into the wall, it will automatically draw power. There’s a circuit to modify wall power to charger power. Steps down. Which releases heat. Even if your phone isn’t attached to the other end.
Any device that has a single step power button, like volume keys on your phone, will always consume power to a degree.
Any device with a 2 step power button, one that is visibly capable of being pressed in and staying that way until pressing again, or any physical switch, should nearly cease all power draw.
Single step uses more power than 2 step. Both still use tiny amounts of power when turned off.
Large devices, like your air conditioner, use relays to physically disconnect the power when turned off. You can hear a slap sound just as it powers up. That sound is the crackle of power and the slamming of the contacts being pulled together magnetically.
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