Overcharging laptop
Overcharged laptops contributing 43 percent of electricity wastage annually. dailymail

A whopping 134 million pounds worth of electricity is wasted every year in Britain due to overcharging gadgets such as mobile phones and computers. Besides, one in five Britons resort to continuous charging of devices for fear of losing power after exiting their houses, says a survey.

One in ten Britons have also been found to be "too lazy" to unplug the devices after charging even at the cost of wasting money and power. Energy firm E.ON says that nine out of ten Britons keep their devices on permanent charge unaware of the impending damage to the device and the overcharged battery.

Overcharged batteries are known to drain faster over time and reduce their lifespan, besides escalating household electricity bills by 60 pounds every year. The study highlights laptops, mobile phones and computers to be the most overcharged devices at 43 per cent, 41 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

A quarter of people in Britain are said to be of the wrong belief that constant charging of devices is necessary for them to work efficiently. Besides, youth between 18 to 24 have been found to be the major culprits as they are four times more likely to keep their devices plugged in than those above the age of 55.

A third of women have cited forgetfulness for leaving devices plugged in, while kids' over-charging of toys contributes 20 per cent of the wastage.

Moreover, half of Britons (46 percent) admit to being unaware of the energy savings gained from disconnecting devices after charging although they say they want to save money.

"There is clearly a lot of confusion about what's good for our electronics and it is astonishing that 90 per cent of people overcharge their gadgets," said Pollyanna Woodward, a presenter on Channel 5's The Gadget Show.