Charging your mobile phone in The United Kingdom (2024)

FAQs

Charging your mobile phone in The United Kingdom? ›

All you'll need is a simple plug adapter that converts the US two-pronged plug to the UK's three-pronged format. These adapters are readily available and very affordable, so you won't break the bank.

All you'll need is a simple plug adapter that converts the US two-pronged plug to the UK's three-pronged format. These adapters are readily available and very affordable, so you won't break the bank.

Yes, you can connect any mobile phone to a UK power outlet by using a power adaptor.

According to U Switch, the “recommended” time to charge a smartphone for is two hours and 40 minutes. This means that in the UK, the average cost of charging your phone every day of the year for this amount of time costs just 85p.

Key takeaways. On average, phone chargers use about 5 watts of electricity. Charging a phone once a day will use about 0.15 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month and 1.83 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

Using type B USB Micro cord and a three pin Type G USB adapter to recharge your mobile phone from a British power outlet. To supply power to any mobile phone from the British power outlet you'll need to use a Type G USB power plug adapter and a USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B cable.

You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if you hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle. You'll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years.

In order to protect electronic equipment from overloading, chargers take the UK's 240V electricity supply and convert it to a standard 5V. However, the current (in amps) can vary from charging source to charging source. Computers typically only allow 0.5A of current, making charging quite slow and laborious.

As 5 watts is just 0.005 kilowatts, and conservatively it will take 1.7 hours per full charge, a complete reboot of your iPhone's energy supplies will suck 8.5W of electricity from the grid. Given that a kilowatt of leccy will set you back 10p, that's a cost of 0.085p per charge: less than a tenth of a penny.

Not only does leaving your phone charger plugged in increase your electricity bills, but it also wastes energy. When you leave your charger plugged in, even if your phone is not connected to it, the charger is still using power from the outlet.

Is leaving a phone charger plugged in without a phone fire hazard? ›

Yes, cell phone chargers can be dangerous when plugged into an outlet, but not a phone. This is because the charger is still drawing power from the outlet, which can cause electrocution if touched. Also, the charger can overheat and cause a fire if left plugged in without a phone connected.

As soon as the battery reaches 100%, it stops charging. At this point your device runs on AC power rather than battery power. Of course, eventually, whether or not you're using it, your phone will drop to 99%. At this point, your phone will "trickle-charge", as the charger repeatedly brings it back up to 100% again.

United Kingdom travel adaptors

For United Kingdom the associated plug type is G, which is the plug that three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern.

Europe operates on a standard voltage of 230V, differing from the 120V standard in the United States. Most modern chargers, including those for iPhones, can handle voltages ranging from 100V to 240V. This adaptability eliminates the need for a voltage converter, simplifying your charging experience.

Starting with iPhone 12, Apple no longer includes wall adapters in every box as it moves to reduce package waste (and make some cash on accessories). Its newest smartphones—including the iPhone 15 lineup announced this week—also include support for Apple's magnetic MagSafe charging.