Household Battery Register

Who this is for

Every battery-powered thing in the house, and the battery it takes. Devices are listed with the type and size marked on them and when they were last changed, beside the spares held and the used batteries waiting to go for recycling.

Households with remotes, smoke alarms, clocks, toys, torches, scales and door sensors all taking different batteries, and anyone tired of buying the wrong size or finding a drawer of dead cells.

What this helps you track

• Each device, where it is and the battery type and size it takes
• How many it takes and whether they are rechargeable
• When each was last changed and how many days ago that was
• Spares held by size, with the date printed on the pack
• Used batteries waiting to go for recycling, and when they went

How to use it

1. Walk round the house and give each battery-powered device a line, copying the type and size marked on the device or on the old battery.
2. Write the date whenever you change a device's batteries; days since is worked out in the browser and the workbook.
3. List spare batteries by type and size, with how many are left and the date printed on the pack.
4. Put used batteries aside safely, log them in the third table, and record the date you dropped them off.
5. Check your council's or local authority's rules on where batteries can go; many places ask for them to be kept out of household bins.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why tape the ends of used batteries?

Batteries that still hold some charge can short if their ends touch metal or each other, and may get hot. Taping the ends, or bagging each one, is a common precaution while they wait; follow any instructions at your drop-off point.

Why keep button and coin cells out of reach?

They are small enough for a child to swallow, which can cause serious harm. Keep spares in their packaging where children cannot reach them and check that battery covers on devices are secure. If one may have been swallowed, get urgent medical help.

Where can I recycle batteries?

It depends on where you live. Shops that sell batteries, recycling centres and councils often take them back; check your local authority's website and write your usual drop-off point at the top.

Does the sheet say when to change batteries?

No. It records when you did change them, so the days since column shows which have been in longest. Follow the device maker's instructions, especially for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.