If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a few bad habits you’re hoping to shake someday. They might not be major – after all, who doesn’t have something they’d change about themselves if given the chance? The key point is that these habits exist, and that’s completely normal.

For some, it’s a more serious issue, like an addiction. Smoking, drinking, gambling, indulging in too much fast food… you get the idea. But other habits are just born out of routine. There’s nothing really stopping us from breaking them except maybe laziness or forgetfulness.

Take me, for instance: I had the constant habit of leaving my phone charger plugged into the wall even when I wasn’t using it.

Now, I can guess what you’re thinking – how hard could it possibly be to unplug a charger when your phone’s done charging? And, truthfully, it’s not hard at all.

Still, I can’t count how many times my partner reminded me to pull that charger out. I didn’t think much of it (obviously – hence the bad habit). What’s the harm in leaving a charger plugged in, ready to go? No big deal, right?

Well, turns out, that’s not entirely true. I came across a social media post that shed some light on the potential downsides of leaving a charger sitting in the outlet when it’s not in use.

Suffice it to say, I broke my habit pretty quickly. My partner’s happy, and honestly, so am I after learning what could happen if I kept doing it.

So, what’s the big deal? Even when your charger is idle, a small amount of power continues to flow through it. Sure, it’s minimal, but it’s still wasted energy – electricity being used even though your phone’s not charging.

Beyond that, leaving your charger plugged in all the time can wear down its internal components faster. Sudden power surges could lead to overheating, possibly even causing it to smoke or, in the worst-case scenario, start a fire.

And that’s not all. If the tip of the charger comes into contact with water or metal, you could have a much bigger problem on your hands.

Plus, if your home is anything like mine, kids or pets are running around constantly. Not only could they accidentally yank the charger from the wall and damage it, but curious kids might start thinking the outlet is a toy – and that’s not a risk worth taking.

Now, to be fair, modern chargers come with safety regulations in place, and the chances of a fire happening because of a plugged-in charger are incredibly low. But that doesn’t erase the smaller risks I just mentioned, which might make you rethink your charging habits.

Do you leave your charger plugged in when you’re not using it? Let us know in the comments!