Question
When you have a light switch on without a light bulb in the socket, is it still using electricity?
Answer
We consulted the head of maintenance here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Mike says that having the switch on will allow the electricity to progress into the wires that lead to the socket, but without a bulb, the electricity will not be used to illuminate the bulb’s filament (which gives light). Therefore, although the current is in the wiring, the electricity used is so minimal that it hardly registers on the electric meter.
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