It depends. In general, no, a plug in an outlet does not complete the circuit (so long as whatever is plugged in is not turned on). You can argue that, with AC current, there is an inductive component of the load that is slightly different in a wire that is 1 inch long vs a wire that 100 feet long (sort of an antenna effect) but the amount of electricity involved is so small, it would take an electrical engineer with sophisticated equipment to measure it.
However, there are lots of devices that are "ON" even when they are not actively on. For example, TVs. There are all sorts of circuits in most TVs that take time to warm up so, if they were turned completely off (like unplugged from the wall), it would take them a minute or so after being turned on to show a picture. Certainly anything with a little red or green indicator light or a digital clock is using some electricity while that is on.
On the flip side... One thing that is damaging to electrical components (and basically everything else)is temperature cycling. So, if you unplugged your TV every time you were not watching it, you would save a few pennies a week on electricity but your TV might quit working next year or in 3 years instead of lasting 10 or 20 years. If you are out of town for 2 weeks, it probably makes sense to unplug such devices but, otherwise, it is nice to have things come on almost instantly and you avoid a LOT of the temperature cycling.
Hi
if it has a switch on the socket it can't possibly.
some of the modern devices like sky boxes and some televisions due draw power so if it is an un switched socket it is possible.
so they usually have a red light which shows when they are in standby mode.
Electricity only flows in a closed circuit. If any part
of the circuit is open electron flow stops.
No because the circuit in which the electricity travels is then broken, the electricity will travel but only go so far up the circuit and will 'bounce' back when it gets to the broken part of the circuit.
Well no, BUT apparently some electricity (energy) is lost as heat in any wiring system.
Costly for National Grid perhaps, but unlikely to have any impact on the average household.
I read somewhere that it does.
