The latest generation of NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries tend to have a low self-discharge rate. Why does it matter? Well, in the past, you’d often fully charge NiMH batteries only to find they’d gone flat all by themselves when you came to use them, a few weeks down the line. That’s certainly not the case with these EBL AA and AAA batteries, which are claimed to hold 80 per cent of their charge even after standing idle for three years.
Low-discharge NiMH batteries are often advertised as ‘ready to use’. That’s because the manufacturer can fully charge them at the production stage and be confident they’ll still have plenty of charge left in them after sitting around on a retailer’s shelf for ages. However, that’s not so with these EBL batteries. Claiming safety as a factor, EBL only charges them to 20% of their capacity before shipping. You can’t use them for long straight out of the box. Instead you’re better off fully charging them before first use.
