Kenya Power: How Charging Your Phone Overnight Is Increasing Your Electricity Bills

Did you know that charging your phone overnight might be inflating your electricity bills, contrary to what many believe that this is an energy saver? Well, at least according to Kenya Power.

No one wants to pay more in terms of their power bills than usual, but charging your phone overnight could be contributing to the rising costs. In today's fast-paced world, many people have chosen to charge their phones overnight to ensure they are fully charged by the morning.

This seemingly harmless habit may be costing you more in terms of your electricity bill. But wait, don't many modern phones have smart charging technology these days? The feature in new phones works in a manner that the battery stops charging when it is full to preserve battery life.

This however doesn’t stop your electricity bill from growing. Even though the phone may not be drawing power continuously, it still consumes electricity throughout the night, adding up over time. So it is time to rethink your phone charging habits.

Kenya Power building in Nairobi CBD. /KENYA POWER

In an informative post on X on Friday, January 17, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) clarified that charging one's phone overnight does indeed increase the cost of electricity.

According to KPLC, despite being fully charged, your phone still draws small amounts of energy, which ultimately increases the bill. "Did you know? Myth: Charging your phone overnight doesn’t waste energy," the post reads in part.

To help regulate electricity costs, KPLC has advised Kenyans and the general public to always unplug their phone once it’s fully charged.

"Fact: Once your phone is fully charged, it continues to draw small amounts of power, wasting energy over time. Pro tip: Unplug your charger once your phone is fully charged or use smart plugs to cut off power automatically," the post adds.

Apart from increasing the electricity bill, charging your phone overnight can cause overheating, a big concern in terms of your device and items surrounding it, and in extreme cases, may lead to fires.

At the very least, avoid stacking anything, such as books or other devices, on top of a charging device. For the love of your health, don't put your charging phone under a pillow.

The other big thing you can do is choose the correct charging equipment. Using the chargers provided with the device and those specifically designed for it is very important.

Beyond that, you may consider avoiding “fast charging” during bedtime. Getting to 100% slower means spending less time in that 99-100% cycle.

Lastly, batteries can’t last forever. Using your phone is simply degrading the battery. There are some tips you can use to slow that degradation down, but most of us have no other convenient time to charge up our devices.