Open sockets (switched on) waste electricity - Alistair Campbell

[Bert]

On "The Wright Stuff" (Channel 5) this morning (26 June 2012), Alistair Campbell said that open sockets (i.e. with no plug in them) use electricity if they are switched on. Could this be true? I don't see how, but Campbell is not a complete idiot, and I presume he must have got this information from somewhere. Is it an urban myth? He did not mention that it might only apply to sockets that have a light to indicate that they are on.
If it is true, would it still be using electricity if there was an appliance plugged in (not switched on, of course).
If it is true, I presume it must be be a current of micromicroamps.
They were talking about an item in the Daily Telegraph that said that the average family wastes £86 per year by leaving items on stand-by, or leaving battery chargers on when the batteries are fully charged, that sort of thing.

[ChuckFickens]

LOL!

I'd ask what would the difference be between the path of the electricity ending at the holes of the socket or it ending at the switch in the socket

[ABerrant]

Campbell is more dangerous than a complete idiot.

[Graham-W]

A socket with an on indicator light will use microamps if left in the on position. The power for the light must come from somewhere.
If no light, no power usage.

[Old_Geezer]

All the electrons will flow out all over the carpet and you'll need to mop them up on a regular basis. Don't walk near them with bare feet !

[Canary42]

Somebody should tell Campbell that you can get socket covers (see link below) which prevent any electricity leakage.

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[jake-the-peg]

Seems odd - he might have been thinking about indicator ones.

I'm suspicious about some of these statistics about wasted electricity with devices powered up because the truth of the matter is that device vary enormously.

Older equipment did use quite a lot of power on standby but more modern TVs etc use less than 1 watt

Similar with chargers - the more sophisticated ones switch off when there is no charging, but the less smart ones don't and you cann actually feel they're still warm when they're not charging.

So the notion of "Average" here is very variable.

Also while people are getting very excited about this they should perhaps first think about the efficiency of their existing appliances.

The efficiency of Power gobblers like tumble driers probably account for way more electricity waste than standby devices and if you've old inefficient models your first port of call should probably be upgrading these

[flump1]

Some people think Alistair Campbell is stoopid.......then he opens his mouth and removes any doubt.

[vascop]

If you have one or more of those "black boxes" which rectify and transform the AC voltage to DC, and you leave them plugged in with the socket switch on, then they will use a small amount of electricity. eg the box that lies between your laptop and the socket, etc. If you want to save electricity then when your laptop is charged up either unplug the charger or flick the switch on the socket to off.

[bookbinder]

Alastair Campbell probably got this from a book by James Thurber: My Life and Hard Times, 1933, (I think that I have the correct book), in which he describes his grandmother's belief that an empty electrical socket would leak electricity if it was switched on.

[jomifl]

It surpises me that people worry about a few watt hours per year being wasted on electroics on standby yet they cheerfully waste huge amounts of money on everything from cosmetics and mobile phones to gas guzzling 4x4s. You may ask how does spending money on things like cosmetics and other apparently low energy items, waste energy? The answer is that the profits made by the manufacturers are spent and money spent has an energy equivalent which in turn has a CO2 equivalent.

[wildwood]

I can't see how. Switching the socket off only disconnects the positive outlet from the wire, so there is still an active flow of protons in the wire to the fusebox. The only difference is the brass connection of the switch which is live/not live. The combined "waste" from all the sockets in the UK would be so small that I don't think you could run one 60w light bulb on it.

[ludwig]

People should also be aware that the new eco light bulbs also use up electricity, even though they give out no detectable light when switched on.
You should always check the position of the switch, to be sure if they're on or not.

[nescio]

protons ? Wildwood

[RATTER15]

I have now put suitable receptacles under all my unused sockets to catch any leakage, I cant actually see anything in said receptacles yet, Well I would would I, we all know you cant see electricity! My question is: where do I pour it back in when receptacles are full?

[EDDIE51]

Total ball*cks the guy IS a total idiot.
A neon 'on' indicator' would use a few micro-amps if the plug was left 'live' but the current would be so small it could hardly be measured.Cost perhaps round 0.2pence a year.
A plug that is just 'open' uses no current at all not even a single micro-amp .
I can only assume he is getting confused with TVs etc that are left plugged in on' stand by' some of these do use a measurable amount of current and a few £s a year could be saved by disconnecting them totally when not in use.
The guy needs to remember the old saying EBBOM ( Engage Brain Before Opening Mouth) he has made himself look a right prat.

[Mick-Talbot]

Electricty ....Greatest invention ever.


Without it we would have to watch the telly in the dark.

[ludwig]

// I have now put suitable receptacles under all my unused sockets to catch any leakage..where do I pour it back in when receptacles are full? //

I think you can sell it back to the national grid Ratter. Keep it in a jar and give it to the bloke who comes round to read the meter.

[bookbinder]

RATTER15, you sound like a live wire, so I don't anticipate any resistance to my suggestion as to watt to do with your waste electricity. The current thinking is to find an open circuit (not a closed one, not a short one) and pour the stuff in via the first available aperture. Electricity thrives in a good ohm, so I hope that my idea has the potential to spark off a whole grid-full of enlightening ideas. Best of luck.

[bookbinder]

Crikey! At last! I've got through!

[gen2]

My understanding is that Alistair Campbell said nothing of the sort and is being misquoted.
I believe that what he actually said was that if you unplug everything from an extension lead, and the light is still on, then it is still using electricity.

Yes, but actually only about one milliwatt.