BP Editors
It’s Earth Day. We should all do our part to save the planet, right? If we can save energy without unplugging anything, why wouldn’t we? It’s good for the planet, right?
Yes, if that were possible, it would be great. However, it’s not and the energy saver device scams are playing on your fears to get into your pockets.
Buyer Beware
It is normal for scammers to ramp up efforts during any crisis and the coronavirus pandemic has been no exception. Here is some information to protect yourself from more financial loss due to the increase in fraud and blatant rip-offs, both now and in the future.
The Claim: Save Up to 90% on Electricity Costs
The sale of gadgets that claim to shrink your power bill drastically are not new. What’s new about this scam is that it’s now being advertised on fairly legitimate major news websites.
Never heard of this? I hadn’t either, so I looked into it. Would I be wrong to trust what my local news buddies seem to recommend?
Your local news station wouldn’t try to scam you, would they?
It’s not the news stations who are perpetrating this scam, but they are perpetuating the notion that a gadget made in China can decrease your electric bill without anything illegal such as theft of services going on.
It’s not exactly the station, it’s the advertising they accept. We did email the station about this ad, to date we have not heard back from them.
While it’s true that these cheaply made gadgets don’t steal power or bypass the meter, the fact is they do nothing to decrease your power usage or power bill.
Here is part of the sales page:
The device pitched on my local station website was for a device called ÖkoWatt, which was offered for the low low price of only $39.98 plus shipping and handling. But wait! There’s more! You can buy multiple units and save plus get free shipping. What a deal. Suckers.
When It Sounds Too Good To Be True…
The old adage is certainly true in this instance. After some research into these types of products, we found that they can be bought for under $5 on eBay. That’s a lot less money, especially when you’re talking about throwing it away on a plastic brick that uses an electrical outlet for no reason.
Units Are (Unfortunately) Flying Off the Shelves!
While everyone is staying home during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s natural that electricity usage at home will be higher, resulting in higher electricity costs. The marketers of this device are preying on the financial insecurities that many are feeling and giving them an “easy out” of high electricity bills.
The only easy out here though, is the $40+ bucks consumers will spend to get this device. Here’s a video explaining in scientific terms why this gadget is not worth the plastic it’s made of because it can’t possibly save you money.
Be safe and cautious with your money. You never know where sneaky ads will pop up and try to separate you from your hard-earned cash.
