I do not know if my question makes sense to non asians, but in my country, there is a switch for each power outlet. I do not see any switches here. Does every electronic just stay plugged in all the time? For instance, we have something like [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/FXtwnm16abWa4n9D7) in our houses.

6 comments

  1. I could be wrong, but I think it’s because of the way the socket is structured- power socket is recessed (going inside the walls) in the EU, while it’s at wall level in your picture.

    So the risk of an electric shock is comparatively lower in the EU socket, and therefore probably one can save the requirement of an additional switch.

  4. If you’re coming form a country like India, then like in the UK the reason for individual switches on the plugs is because the electrical systems were made in a ring main design / [ring circuit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit) which tends to be different than the “normal” radial circuit;

    https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/RadialRingCircuit.html

    Ring circuits generally are more susceptible if there is a load on the ring that fails that it might affect others on the same ring, and that’s also a reason the plugs have individual fuses in them, at least that was their original point. The switches are to avoid blowing fuses on unused devices if something does happen. Asian countries don’t have the plug fuse but it’s probably some kind of leftover from the British style that transformed into convenience. Some people also say due to the quality of the electrical networks and to switch off things, but that’s also a bit outdated.

    All those things aren’t very common in Europe so there was never that type of historical “need” to have switches.

  5. Plugs in mainland Europe do not have switches. We leave appliances plugged in. This is safe because circuits are star-shaped, grounded, and have dedicated breakers. If it causes you anxiety, you can unplug the appliance or use the built-in switch. Modern power supplies and chargers draw very little power when the device is charged or turned off, it’s not an issue to leave it plugged in.

  6. It’s also about cost. There are a lot of countries where a €2-3 increase on an electricity bill equals two or three days’ worth of dinner. So everyone’s scrambling to turn off these switches, reminds eachother to turn them off etc. it becomes a culture to remember to turn off those switches, because leaving them on has a tangible cost.

    In Luxembourg, nobody is bothered by their electicity bill being €30, €80 or €160 so it really doesn’t matter to have switches or whether they are on or off. When’s the last time you walked into the house of someone in Luxembourg and it was cold in some room or the lights were not on etc? most people warm every room in the house (even at night) and even leave ‘amosphere’ lights on in hallways etc. because it looks cool while they’re asleep.

    Living standards are super different here compared to Asia.

    Also, it is one of the reasons why Luxembourgers consume the most resources out of any European country. Everybody is simply wealthy enough to do so without feeling the cost of it.

    And this is separate from the technical reasons which others have already highlighted.

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