Electricity usage?

Please can someone settle an argument? - if you leave a socket switched on but there's nothing plugged in to it does it use any electricity?! Won't tell you which side I'm on in case I'm wrong! Thank you!

I am no electrician but if nothing is plugged in but the socket is swiched on it wont use any electric. Thats the way i see it.

Please can someone settle an argument? - if you leave a socket switched on but there's nothing plugged in to it does it use any electricity?! Won't tell you which side I'm on in case I'm wrong! Thank you!

No it doesn't use any. Current only flows (and costs incurred) if there is a completed circuit. If it has a little "power on" light, then that will use a minute amount when it is lit. But if just a switch that is on at the end of the line, then no.

Please can someone settle an argument? - if you leave a socket switched on but there's nothing plugged in to it does it use any electricity?! Won't tell you which side I'm on in case I'm wrong! Thank you!

Switch is irrelevant if there is nothing plugged into it. No circuit, no possible power use.

What if it's a cooker switch on a kitchen wall?

Current cannot & will not flow as there is no circuit between phase & neutral.

Current is measured by the meter so the meter will not register anything. If the socket has a neon light which glows when the switch is operated, then a very small current will flow & this will register on the meter. However the cost would be negligible.

What if it's a cooker switch on a kitchen wall?

As above, any little "power on" lights will consume a little power. At the cooker itself, there may be additional lights (which, if on, will consume a little power) as well as a clock which will use a little. Assuming that all the heater elements are switched off, there will be no other circuit consuming any power.

Switch is irrelevant if there is nothing plugged into it. No circuit, no possible power use.

That's good - I have many socket outlets with no switch on them :-)

I once worked out the cost of leaving the cooker neon light glowing. It's horrifically expensive - as much as 3p a year!

It used to happen in the past, electricity would leak out of the sockets. That's why we had to use these plug covers:

http://www.excitepmshop.co.uk/images/pf-JmOJpFQrkwY3_-OHDeBGtGtMf/Plug-Socket-Cover.jpg

This is the sort of question my wife would ask. She once asked me "If someone pays thousands of pounds for a personal number plate and someone bumps into it and breaks it, do they have to pay it again?". Nuff said.

Please can someone settle an argument? - if you leave a socket switched on but there's nothing plugged in to it does it use any electricity?! Won't tell you which side I'm on in case I'm wrong! Thank you!

I've always thought of it a bit like the situation at Calais with the Eurotunnel...

Currents accumulate at a terminal at one end of the circuit as their trip is 'ampered by a battery of biased resistance.

They wait patiently until who knows watt-hour, having volted fences on impulse, and need little coaxing to surge forward to try and jump aboard a bus (other electrical devices are available) with adequate capacity.

Most are re-fused.

Sadly, for those that lag behind it hertz, but they remain positive and are released without charge by the neutral authorities.

Maybe some bright sparks will disagree...

Mr Bloke - thankyou for making my day.

Reading 99.9% of the other threads in this Forum (especially General Discussions) depresses me - everyone seems to be in failure mode.