system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is it wasteful to leave a power adapter plugged in to the wall when it's not connected to a device?

I'm guessing that there is a certain amount of power that gets "lost" when 1) the adapter is plugged in to the wall socket, and 2) my phone / laptop / whatever isn't plugged in to the other end. I'd also guess that this loss is a drop in the bucket compared to energy losses happening while power's in transit from the plant to my house...

So, what's really going on here? Is this really wasteful? Could I save a few bucks a month just by unplugging an adapter I'm not really using anyway?
gpt
it depends on the adaptor. some will use a very small amount when no draw is placed on the unit. others will use the same with or without load, older power packs are bad for this and can get very hot if not connected.