If you aren't aware that everyone is talking about saving energy then it might be that you haven't been on the planet for long. All over the world people are talking about things like global warming and ozone emissions while suggesting a variety of ways to save energy. You may be thinking that this is an impossible task for one person, but in a sense, it is as simple as curbing some of your everyday habits.




One area where you can help is just in terms of using your cell phone. As more people use their cell phones and the environment continues to be a concern, it is important to know ways that you can save energy and charge your battery for more efficient use.

Although it may not seem like it a cell phone can use a lot of energy when it is on or being charged. In one study it was estimated that if 10% of the people who have cell phones unplugged their chargers when not in use, they would save enough energy to work in 60,000 European homes.

When your cell phone is charging, it only is using about 5% from your outlet. The other 95% is spent, especially if you leave your phone in it. You can also opt for some other options instead of the traditional charger. A new device called Wild Charge actually uses non-inductive technology to pass the current from a strip to the device. It is a pad so you are only limited in space by the amount of strip outlets on one. You can plug in any electronic device to the pad and it is good for laptops as well. An entire family can share a strip and this will eliminate the use of so many chargers. The device also has a standby feature when not in use.

There are a few companies that are experimenting with solar powered cell phones. They aren't available as of yet but the ingenuity is worth the wait. Konarka Technologies is one such company. They are developing one that will work with sunlight or interior lights. Fraunhofer Institute in Germany is also working on one that uses high-efficiency solar cells. This enables the phone to stay powered up for the duration of time it has the light.

Other things that you can do to help your cell phone save energy is to keep it clean and make sure that the dials and the site where the charger plugs in is free of debris. This will allow your cell phone to make a clearer connection as you use it. If you have an illumination feature, you can turn it off and use it only when you need it in the dark.

Another way to make your cell phone more efficient and conserve your battery is to turn off features that you aren't using. For instance, sounds and vibrating phones can take more from your battery. Turn them off when not in use.