Electricity Saver
We were once distributors of a power correction based electricity saving device, what we called the “Electricity Saver”. A product which claimed 30% cost savings.
After rigourous testing & after 3rd party independant tests, we decided to discontinue distribution of this product due to its false claims. Similar products are found all over the internet, all with the same false claims, many are still available. To help educate the public, we’ve kept this page online to help inform users.
So do these sort of devices work? Simply put. No
Products like these have been independently tested and have been found to NOT SAVE YOU MONEY OR REDUCE YOUR ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION.
Since posting this we’ve received many threats from dubious retailers & distributors claiming of annecdotal evidence of “savings”. But all have declined to send a product for some real lab testing.
We’ve also heard reports of new products hitting the market under various names & packaging with similar claims. With some going as far as filming fake testings, or including test reports which don’t actually confirm any power savings.
Here are some links to some real testing of these types of products. If it isn’t listed here, don’t assume that it works. Any product using power correction to reduce consumption will not save any domestic users in Australia any money.
Electricity Saving Box – Reviewed & Debunked
Silicon Chip Magazine – November 2007 Issue
For household users, who seem to be the target audience for this product, we can say categorically that this product will not save you any money, against the claim of the manufacturer. This is because there is a logical flaw with this product.
As mentioned previously, the electricity supplier bills you for real power, yet provides apparent power. If this product corrects the power factor, which is the ratio of these, it can only save them money, not your household.
The only conceivable way that it could save you money is if you are being charged extra by the electricity supplier for having a low power factor, something that does not happen with domestic users in Australia.
There has even been products like these advertised/reviewed on Television & even sold in a major retail chain – with the same false claims.
Enersonic Power Saver – Reviewed & Debunked
Silicon Chip Magazine – May 2008
THE ELECTRICITY SAVING BOX DOES NOT SAVE ELECTRICITY. IT IS A FRAUD. …… It will not result in any reduction in real power as measured by any appliance energy meter or the meters in your power box at home. It will probably lead to a small increase.
[...] retailer came clean after they found that their products didn’t work. Check out Electricity Saver’s – Do They Work? on their site. Backed up by real world testing from electronic enthusiast magazine Silicone Chip, [...]
What about other devices that purport to save electricity, like energyworks or Power-save? Do they work.
Please respond. THX! J
really?thanks for the information. nyways, we would like to make a power saver device, any suggestions? we are in dire need. it is for our investigatory project
Jane – if they follow the same principles as the ones reviewed by Silicon Chip Magazine – then no they won’t work.
To be really sure – perhaps contact the magazine and see if they’ve tested or reviewed those particular devices.
Dear sir,
Your information about the energy saver has saved me? I was going to buy one, should I drop the idea?
Seems to be another product has hit the Australian market – with a website full of non-relevant international test papers & “tested” by the Australia Office of Fair trading (The mere mention should ring warning bells for most!) – and Austest..
DUE TO LEGAL THREATS – THE WEBSITE NAME MENTIONED HAS BEEN REMOVED.
If the distributors are so sure about the effectiveness of their product – I suggest they send a unit to Silicon Chip magazine for some REAL testing..
Here’s some more info & an independant test on a Power Factor based Electricity Saving Device
Worth a read: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/powerfactor.html
Remember – These devices DO correct the power factor but since residential customers are only billed on kw.h – NO SAVINGS WILL BE HAD
[...] Does It Work? [...]
I was just about to buy one from a well known Australian Ebay store. Glad i investigated first.
Thank You for saving me $40
Your understanding and electrical engineering experience is really limited. Perhaps you have not even graduate from any university. If power factor is corrected, the real power will decrease accordingly. This is common sense as the phase angle reduces.
So you website better do more homework before disclaiming that it is a fraud.
Edwin
Edwin,
The point is power factor correction will not save you money in residential installations.
We’re not claiming that these products do not fix the power factor, we are claiming that it will not REDUCE YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL as customers are only billed in KWHs.
For some expert reviews on these products, contact Silicon Chip magazine from the links above who have done REAL labratory tests on these types of products and have proven that these products DO NOT WORK!
If you want to save electricity – look at renewable energy options – Solar & Wind..
Well I was sucked in with a quick click now button – I actually thought it was a monitor that informed you of power through appliances ie: plug saver in and the appliance into saver. When I opened it and started reading the brochure it was immediately apparant that is was all rubbish and so the Power Saver and brochure were filed under rubbish in the WPB. At the same time I unsubsccribed from TopBuy the people who peddled this garbage to me. BTW- I have signed up for 4KW solar system
[...] Electricitysaver.com.au used to sell plug-in power savers, until they realised they were a scam, apologised to their customers, and handed out refunds. Now they sell one of those things that just turns off “vampire” devices. [...]
Thanks for all of this info. Its a great help. How can I reduce my electric bill.
Edwin tan – i think it is your electrical engineering that needs refreshing. Correcting power factor will not reduce the real power (kW) it will only reduce the reactive power (kVA) which (through the sum of the vectors) reduces the apparent power (also measured in kVA).
There is no, and will never be, a device that you can plug in to an outlet that can reduce your kWh power consumption. That being said, an energy monitor can help you identify which devices are using the most energy (kWh) and help you to reduce your consumption by turning off energy hungry devices when not in use. For example ~25% of an average homes energy consumption is due to standby power.
I have noticed a similar device has turned up on graysonline.com for on line auction. it guarantees 10% money saving for a comparable period or your money back! Big claim but I wonder how you prove it?
I agree that absolutely these things do not save you money for the reasons already stated.
Does anybody please educate me on how to calculate the energy consumption..
Say I have a 300 W television, which to my understanding is 300 W per hour (Please correct me if I am wrong) and that for me to consume 1.2 kwh, the tv has to be turned on for 4 hours straight, right ?
(Because 300 W x 4 = 1200 W, which is 1.2 kW).
If this is correct then the cost of watching TV for 4 hours is only about 7 cents (~6 cents per kwh in where I live)
Thanks
Cheers
Just a note for Sparky. I totally disagree with you. From ALL the tests and actual installations we have done, POWER FACTOR CORRECTION REDUCES KILOWATTS AND KILOWATT HOURS.
Vince,
Have you done any tests on actual residential installations using plug in Power Correction Devices? As far as I now – Power correction can only reduce electricity costs in industrial situations.
This post was put up to inform consumers of SCAM electricity saving plug in adaptors which promise outrageous discounts off consumer electricity bills. Out of the 3 consumer devices tested – this has not been the case. With proof from electronics enthusiast magazine Silicon Chip.