Rechargeable batteries

Most of us have a lot of items in our homes that operate using rechargeable batteries: electric razors, electric toothbrushes, power tools, cell phones, laptops, portable vacuum cleaners, etc. If you leave the chargers plugged in full time, most of them will use small amounts of power even if they are not charging anything or if the battery they are connected to is already fully charged.  Some rechargeable divides or battery chargers also have an indicator light that is on whenever the device is charging or fully charged.  Although the power draw from these idle chargers and glowing indicator lights is small, if you multiply that by the billions of devices using this unproductive energy, it adds up to a lot of wasted electricity.  Unplug these items when not actively charging a low battery.   

In addition, some types of rechargeable batteries need to be fully discharged occasionally, while other types of rechargeable batteries can be harmed by frequent full discharges.  Appropriate (for that particular type of battery) charging and discharge cycles can extend the life of the battery so you can use the item for more years before it needs replacement.  There are many types of rechargeable batteries, and each type requires a different charging profile, so if you want to know how to most effectively maintain a particular battery, you will need to research that type of battery.  However, here are two general bits of information:

• Nickel-cadmium batteries (a little older type of rechargeable battery) should be completely depleted every once in a while to keep it healthy.
• Lithium ion batteries (a newer type found in electronics such as laptops and cell phones) do best with more frequent shallow discharges and recharges.  ​