# Do remote controls use more power to do some things than others?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-remote-controls-use-more-power-to-do-some-things-than-others/556454>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 8, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-remote-controls-use-more-power-to-do-some-things-than-others/556454 "2010-10-08T03:14:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-remote-controls-use-more-power-to-do-some-things-than-others/556454/1 "2010-10-08T03:14:28Z")

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I have a remote for a piece of electronic equipment and as the batteries age, the “on” button always seems to be the thing that stops working first. Is there anything about an on button that makes it more likely to die soonest, or is there perhaps just something a bit off about this on button on this particular remote?

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**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-remote-controls-use-more-power-to-do-some-things-than-others/556454/2 "2010-10-08T04:07:14Z")

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The on-off button is probably one of the ones you use the most so there might be wear that weakens the contact surfaces and increases resistance that the weak batteries can’t push the current through.