What's the Electricity Cost of Providing Free Phone Charging?

Introduction

Would you like to make 200 people very happy for just 22p? By providing free to use phone charging stations in your premises you can do just that!

We’ll demonstrate here how to calculate the ongoing cost of providing charging stations within your business.

The ongoing cost can be exclusively considered the cost of electricity to charge any portable devices but let’s concentrate here on the cost of providing a free wireless charge for the latest mobile phones. 

Areas of Focus: 

·     Charging through 15W QI compatible 15W wireless chargers

·     Costs for charging the biggest selling mobile phones in the UK in 2023

·     Electricity costs for bigger buildings such as hospitals, airports, arenas/stadia and universities

·     Typical electricity contracts in 2023 (and 2024 so far)

Let’s look specifically at the cost of electricity (P&L cost) rather than capital outlay (investment cost of charging stations).

As this isn’t a test, here’s our answer: it’s 22p per 200+ phones charged or, expressed another way, 22p for 200+ happy people!

So read on to find out how we’ve calculated these magic numbers…

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But first off, what is a Phone Charging Station?

Charging Stations enable people to charge mobiles/cellphones/handsets, tablets, laptops, watches, earbuds and any other devices considered ‘portable’.

Charging stations come in many forms such as floating shelves, lockers or battery banks, and all can provide a charging solution through various charging methods: wireless chargers, USB ports, plug sockets, battery packs, as well as furniture with in-built ports/pads.

Charging stations should provide a variety of charging methods to enable people to choose what suits them best. And importantly, they should be located where people really want them and where they are easily accessible.

Benefits of Providing Free to Use Charging Stations

If you’re serious about improving the experiences of staff, patients, passengers, or any other target markets, then investing in charging stations is a must. Crucially, you should be providing charging stations as a service that is free at the point of use.

Negative brand warmth can be a silent factor for businesses seeming to profiteer from such a low-cost service. Even worse is when a business seeks to profiteer from people already in a challenging situation such as in a hospital’s accident and emergency department.

Find out more about the benefits of providing free to use charging stations in our articles about healthcare buildings, stadia and arenas, airports and universities in our Articles and Guides section on the Crable website.

Also, have a read of case studies for hospitals and sports stadia.

Wireless Charging is the Future 

People don’t want to carry their plugs and cables when going about their everyday business. As mobile phones are such an integral part of our busy lives, commercial premises can and should provide charging facilities wherever people are likely to need and want that essential top-up.

The easiest way for people to charge their mobile devices is through wireless charging. No cables or leads - just place the mobile handset on the wireless charging pad and the charge immediately starts transferring, eliminating the dreaded NOMOPHOBIA, that well-known fear of being without sufficient battery charge.

The speed with which a mobile device is charged is dependent on two factors:

1)   The amount of power that the charging pad is capable of delivering

2)   The amount of power that the mobile device is capable of receiving

15W of wireless charge is the value you’re looking to deliver from your wireless charging pad, and most mobile phones on the market since 2022 are capable of receiving that full 15W.

The biggest selling mobile handsets in the UK in 2023 were the iPhone 14 and the Samsung Galaxy A14 and both are fitted with powerful wireless receivers.

Note that prior to 2022, mobile phones were supplied with wireless receivers limited to receiving 5W, or possibly 7.5W or 10W charges. These phones can receive a charge from a 15W charger but at a slower speed of transfer.  But a slower speed of electricity transfer DOES NOT equate to greater cost to the business - it’s the total amount of electricity used that represents the cost.

Calculating the Cost of Electricity

So, let’s look at the calculations needed to assess the ongoing electricity costs to your business for providing a free wireless charge.

Parameters and Assumptions:

1)   We are calculating the costs of wirelessly charging the biggest selling mobile phones of 2023 – the iPhone 14 and the Galaxy A14. 80% of people in the UK own an Apple or a Samsung mobile phone - check these stats out here.

2)   We’re using a starting battery level of 20% - when NOMOHPBIA is most likely to kick in.

3)   We are assuming people are going to charge for an average of 15 minutes.

4)   We’ve averaged the battery capacities of both the iPhone 14 and Galaxy A14 to demonstrate charging costs for a 4,140 mAh battery.

The Cost of Electricity in 2023 for UK Businesses

All properties are charged for electricity based on a price per KWH (Kilowatt-Hour). KWH = 1,000 Watts.

The amount of electricity used or anticipated to be used by a business over a period of time will dictate the price charged by the utilities company per KWH and form the basis of that contract.

In 2023 a typical large building such as a hospital, airport or university was charged on average 22p per KWH. Prices were as high as 30p in 2022 and much lower in 2021 at 14p. Data provided by Sanctus Consulting.

We’ll use 22p per KWH as the important number when calculating how much it costs you to provide a free charge. Ask your finance department for your electricity cost in pence per KWH.  

How to Calculate Electrical Consumption by Phones

Typical Charge Times?

So, how long will people charge their phones in a commercial setting? Obviously, this all depends on where they are and how much charge is deemed enough for their needs.

In most studies, people have been shown to charge their phones for between 10 and 15 minutes, but it might actually be only for a few minutes e.g. while waiting at an airport gate, or indeed for longer such as waiting in departures.

We’ll use 15 minutes as the basis for our calculations.

How Much Electricity is Used Per Phone?

When calculating how much electricity is used to charge a phone, people assume the following:

·     That the starting point on the battery’s power holding level should be factored in

·     That a battery’s total power capacity is a factor in charging calculations

·     That the age of a phone (and therefore the efficiency of the battery) is a further contributing factor to the calculations

We wouldn’t say these points aren’t relevant, but we’re confident that these factors don’t significantly contribute to the average charging cost per phone in typical use in the UK. 

It’s important to remember that the 15W wireless charging module and the power supply unit will draw a nominal 20W from the mains at full power – this includes all losses from heat dissipation and distance travelled.

At a 20W draw and with 1,000 watts making up a KWH, around 50 phones can be charged per hour (1,000 divided by 20 = 50).

If we then apply a ’15-minute of charge’ you will be charging 4 phones in that hour multiplied by the previous 50 = 200 phones charged for an acceptable period of time for a KWH of electricity.

If you’re on a typical contract of 22p per KWH then you can conclude that 200 phones charged for 22p is a very reasonable investment for 200 very happy people.

Phone Charging Times in Hospitals, Airports,Universities and Sports Stadia

To estimate the number of people in your premises benefiting from a small 22p cost to your P&L then consider the following scenarios for people seeking a charge:

·       Waiting at A&E in your hospital – 15-minutes per charge?

·       Having a cup of tea on your break – 5-minutes per charge?

·       Waiting at the airport gate for their plane to board – 5-minutes per charge?

·       Waiting in departures for their plane to be called – 20-minutes per charge?

·       Working in your university library – 30-minutes per charge?

·       Drinking a coffee in your university café – 5-minutes per charge?

·       Eating a main course in one of your executive boxes – 10-minutes per charge?

·       Grabbing a pint at half-time – 5-minutes per charge?

Conclusion

When at work and on the move, people need and expect to be able to charge their phones conveniently, and the most convenient method is through wireless charging as this requires no cables - people simply place their handset on a wireless charging pad.

Depending on your commercial electricity contract value in 2024, you could be paying as little as 22p to keep 200 people charged up.

Get In Touch

Contact our team today and we’ll be delighted to provide more information on the benefits to your business from installing Crable charging shelves. You can get more information on our patent protected and design registered shelves in our Features page.

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