Most of us are looking at ways that we can save money, whether this is reducing our food bills or getting a discount on the clothing we buy. However, one way that you can save your money and do your bit for the environment at the same time is by switching from single-use alkaline batteries to rechargeable smart batteries. There are many advantages to using rechargeable batteries according to Pale Blue Earth, manufacturers of lithium smart batteries. Not only do they perform better, but they are also much more convenient. Below are just some of the advantages of making the switch.
They will save you money
You might pay a bit more for USB C rechargeable D batteries than you would for the single-use equivalent, but over the lifetime of the batteries you are going to save quite a bit of money. When you buy USB rechargeable batteries, you can charge them with any USB port. This means that you can plug them into your computer, and they will charge while you are working. If you are out and about, you can use a power bank so that you can be charging one set of batteries, while using another. This makes them much more convenient and cost effective than batteries that must be thrown away after one use.
They are better for the planet
Rechargeable batteries are much better for the environment, having far less impact on air and water pollution than single-use equivalents. Because they are used over and over, hundreds of times, rechargeable batteries produce far less waste than single-use batteries. Moreover, because it costs far less to charge a battery than it does to make one, they are more energy efficient over time.
They perform better
A rechargeable battery will use 1.2 volts of energy while it is being used. This voltage stays the same until the low charge indicator comes on. With a single-use battery, the charge starts at around 1.5 volts but then decreases as the battery life diminishes, until it runs out completely. What this means is that a rechargeable battery is always providing the optimum performance levels compared with a single-use battery that diminishes with time.
Are Rechargeable Batteries a Good Idea?
The benefits of rechargeable batteries are many and varied, but for fairness’s sake, there are some disadvantages to mention as well. For example, a charged battery will begin to lose its charge as soon as it comes out of the charger, whether it is being used or not. So, having a lot of rechargeable batteries fully charged and not in use is not a particularly good idea. However, if you are only charging the batteries as and when you need them, this will not be a problem. The good news is that with improvements in technology, this is not so much of an issue anymore, especially with the likes of lithium-ion batteries.
The choice of switching to rechargeable batteries is yours to make. Nevertheless, the many advantages of switching are hard to ignore. You might have to pay a little bit more for rechargeable batteries initially, but over time you will definitely save money. This is of particular benefit to people who use battery-operated games controllers every day, for example. The cost saving to someone who uses a lot of disposable batteries is immense.
If you are conscious of doing your bit for the environment, switching to rechargeable batteries is a small but very manageable change that you can make. It will reduce your impact on global warming and help to reduce your waste.
