Scam Watch
Do Plug-In “Power Saver” Devices Really Cut Your Bill?
Key takeaways
A careful guide to checking extraordinary product claims.
- Homes are billed for the kilowatt-hours their appliances use. A small plug-in box cannot reduce the energy a refrigerator or air conditioner needs.
- Watch for red flags: huge percentage savings, celebrity endorsements, countdown timers and “utilities don’t want you to know”.
- A safety listing is about safety, not savings.
- Test any claim against your own meter or bill, and report deceptive ads to the FTC.
What this guide covers
A careful guide to checking extraordinary product claims. The details depend on your home, equipment and the information on your own bill or appliance label.
What the ads usually claim
Many ads promise that a device plugged into any outlet will “stabilize current” or “correct power factor” and cut your bill dramatically. Residential customers are generally billed for energy in kWh, and the appliances still need the same energy to run. Real savings come from using less energy: efficient appliances, insulation, thermostat settings and turning things off.
Red flags to check
- Savings of 50% or more with no independent test data.
- Fake news-style pages, celebrity or “engineer” endorsements.
- No company address, or reviews only on the seller’s own site.
- Pressure tactics: limited stock, countdown timers, “today only”.
How to check a claim yourself
Read your meter or note the kWh on your bill for a comparable period with and without the device, at similar temperatures. If the claim doesn’t hold up, ask for a refund and report the ad at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
Sources checked November 12, 2026. Guidance can change, so follow the latest version of each source and your equipment manuals.