Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraqi households lose nearly 15% of their electricity consumption to devices left plugged in even when turned off, energy experts warned on Tuesday.

Solar energy specialist Mohammed Ali Hussein al-Dharb told Shafaq News that most devices with standby modes, such as televisions, computers, and phone chargers, continue to consume electricity depending on their capacity and how many are in use at home.

“If a household has two televisions, three phone chargers, and two computers, standby consumption could range between 200 and 250 watts. In an area with 10,000 homes, this could reach about 2,500 megawatts during the evening alone, which is not a small amount,” he explained, pointing to the importance of fully switching off devices to eliminate this hidden consumption.

Speaking to our agency, Amani al-Tamimi, an energy and environmental specialist, noted that electricity leakage may also result from old or low-quality wires that are not regularly maintained, indicating that the main solution lies in enforcing standards for imported electrical materials and warning importers against bringing in substandard supplies.

To address wastage and other problems in the electricity sector, the Parliamentary Energy Committee is pursuing a smart grid law, though time may run out in the current legislative term to debate and pass it. Committee member Kamil al-Uqaili told our agency that “the smart transition is vital because it shifts the network from overhead to underground connections, helping preserve electricity,” adding that modern meters will also be introduced to accurately record consumption and ensure energy use is properly accounted for.