From TechRadar · · 1m 30s
Amazon's fake energy-saving plugs are still on sale
A year after Amazon said it would pull these bogus 'eco' plugs, the listings are still live and still dangerous.
In brief
A year after Amazon said it would pull these bogus 'eco' plugs, the listings are still live and still dangerous. No gadget you plug into a socket can lower your metered electricity use. If a plug promises to cut your bill, it is lying, and it may also catch fire. Originally reported by TechRadar.
Still on the shelf
Amazon promised to remove fake energy-saving plugs from its marketplace. A year later, the listings are still there, still cheap, still selling.
What they promise
The pitch is always the same: plug it into any socket and watch your electricity bill drop by a third or more, with no wiring and no effort.
Why it cannot work
Your meter measures the power your appliances actually draw. A small box in a spare socket cannot change that number, whatever the listing claims.
The real danger
These units skip proper safety testing. Thin prongs, flimsy casings and unregulated internals turn a wasted purchase into a fire hazard in your wall.
A promise with no teeth
Marketplace policing keeps failing. Pull one listing and the same product reappears under a fresh seller name, a new photo and a slightly different title.
What to do instead
Report the listings, ask for a refund if you bought one, and spend the money on a smart meter display or timer plugs that actually change what you use.
The big picture
No gadget you plug into a socket can lower your metered electricity use. If a plug promises to cut your bill, it is lying, and it may also catch fire.
