Many Home Power-Saving Devices are Scams, Yet Heavily Advertised: Alternatives That Do Work Include Smart Plugs and Smart Power Strips

     Most of us have seen those ads for small devices that are claimed to be able to lower one’s electric bill. Most of those are flat-out scams, according to those who have examined and tested them. Some are blatantly fake, basically fraudulent. The companies that sell these fraudulent devices should be penalized.  

     An article in ZDNET explains that many of these power-saving devices are outright frauds. The author says, “Don’t Buy Them.”

Scam "power saving" devices are rampant online. These devices plug into an outlet and promise to "improve the use of energy," "extend the life of electrical equipment," and even "avoid illegal electrical waste."

   

  It is also noted that some are repurposed from other scam items!

“Many of these units seem to be repurposed cases for rodent repellers, and coincidentally, many of those are also scam devices.”

     The author, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, also says that some of these devices are so badly made that they could cause a fire. He bought and tested several of these devices. Again, he emphasizes that they do nothing at all to save power use. As indicated in the pics below, the devices are often made to look authentic, even having fake testing numbers.

     And when they were opened up, some were found with fake capacitors. The arrow in the second pic below points to the fake capacitor.

     The author does recommend smart power strips and smart plugs. These can be operated from one’s phone, turning outlets on and off. He shows one from a company called Tapo.

    The devices enable the management of electricity, allowing one to monitor the power consumption of the devices that are attached. However, they also use a little bit of energy. I would think that their function and effects are similar to those of smart thermostats. They can help you save a bit of energy overall by turning outlets off more often when not in use, since many things left plugged in can drain small amounts of power that can cumulatively add up.  

   

 

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I tested power-saving devices that promise lower electricity bills - only one was legit. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. ZDNET. January 15, 2026. I tested power-saving devices that promise lower electricity bills - only one was legit