Electricity-Saving Device Scams: Do Power Saver Boxes Work?

This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

You’re scrolling after dinner and an ad stops you: a small white box you plug into any outlet, a photo of a famous billionaire holding it, and a headline saying power companies are furious because it cuts your bill by 90%. Your last bill was painful, the box costs less than a tank of gas, and the comments are full of happy customers. It’s one of the oldest electricity-saving device scams around, sold under a new name every year.

The short answer: plug-in “power saver” boxes don’t lower home electric bills. Your utility bills you for kilowatt-hours, the energy your appliances actually use, and a box in an outlet can’t make your fridge, AC or water heater need less energy. Fact-checkers have rated these offers scams, and some older units were recalled as shock hazards. Real savings come from heating, cooling, hot water and timing.

What the “power saver box” ads promise

The device goes by many names: StopWatt, Pro Power Saver, “electricity-saving box,” power factor saver, household power saver and more. Snopes, which rated the StopWatt offer a scam in 2023, explains that these are one cheap, constantly rebranded product. The only words on the boxes it saw were “Intelligent Energy Saver. Electricity-Saving Box.” The pitch usually follows the same script:

• A huge number: cut your bill by 30%, 50% or even 90%.
• A famous face: Snopes found doctored photos of Elon Musk holding the box, false claims that Tesla made it, and misleading mentions of a U.S. Energy Secretary.
• A fake news article: the ad leads to a page dressed up as a major news site, which Snopes says never published the story.
• A villain: “the power companies are scamming you” and want the device banned.
• Science-sounding words: “stabilizes voltage,” “corrects power factor,” “removes dirty electricity,” “stores and releases current.”
• Pressure: “limited stock,” countdown timers and multi-pack deals.

Why a plug-in box can’t cut your bill

You pay for kilowatt-hours

Look at your bill: the main charge is a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) times the kWh your meter recorded. The EIA reports the U.S. average residential price that way, 18.31 cents per kWh in July 2026. Utility tariffs are written the same way. PG&E’s residential time-of-use schedule, for example, lists energy rates in dollars per kWh plus a fixed daily charge, with no charge for “power factor.” A kWh is the energy an appliance turns into cold air, hot water, light or motion. To use fewer kWh, the appliance has to do less work or do it more efficiently. A box plugged into a different outlet does neither.

The “power factor” trick

Many of these boxes claim to “correct power factor.” Power factor describes how much of the current flowing in a circuit does useful work. Some utilities charge large commercial and industrial customers for poor power factor, and correcting it can save those businesses money. Homes on standard residential rates are billed for the energy their meter records in kWh, so there’s no power factor charge to save on. Independent tests by consumer writer Michael Bluejay found no savings from two such devices, and one test showed the house using more electricity with the box plugged in.

“Voltage stabilizing” and “surge storage”

A small box with a light on it can’t store meaningful energy or change the voltage your whole house receives. Even if a device could trim voltage a bit, a thermostat-controlled heater, fridge or water heater would simply run longer to deliver the same heat or cold.

If it worked, your utility would hand them out

Utilities and energy programs pay rebates for things that really cut use, like smart thermostats and heat pump water heaters; ENERGY STAR’s Rebate Finder lists rebates its partners sponsor on certified products. You won’t find a $30 outlet box on those lists.

The safety problem

Power-saving gadgets have been recalled before. In 2002, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of about 45,000 “Energy Smart Power Planners,” a device plugged between motorized appliances and the wall and “intended to save electricity.” They had reversed polarity, posing a shock hazard. They were sold at Home Depot, Costco and Orchard Supply from 2000 to 2002 for $40–$45; the maker went out of business, and CPSC told owners to discard them.

Before you plug anything into your home’s wiring, look for a safety certification mark from a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, such as UL, ETL (Intertek) or CSA. OSHA keeps the official list of these labs. A mail-order box with no listing mark, no maker’s address and no model number shouldn’t go into your outlets, even if it’s free.

Other energy scams to watch for

• Fake utility calls and visits. The FTC warns that scammers pretend to be from businesses you know, including your utility company, then pressure you to act immediately and pay in a specific way, such as a gift card, payment app, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. Hang up and call the number on your bill.
• “Free” solar. The FTC’s 2024 consumer alert on solar and clean energy scams says “free” or “no cost” solar panel offers are scams. It also warns about promises of huge rebates or tax credits, and claims that your utility already enrolled you. Note that the federal residential solar tax credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025, so anyone promising it for a 2026 install is wrong.
• “Government program” offers. The same FTC alert warns about unsolicited calls, messages or visits from people claiming to be with the government or your utility. Don’t give them your card number or account login.

Red flags checklist

• A savings claim of 30% or more from one small device.
• A celebrity, a “leaked” invention or a news logo in the ad.
• “Utilities don’t want you to know.”
• No measured test results, only testimonials.
• No safety listing mark, maker address or model number.
• Countdown timers and “only 3 left.”
• Payment by gift card, wire or crypto, or a request for your utility account login.

If you already bought one

1. Unplug it, especially if it has no safety listing mark or gets warm.
2. Ask for a refund under the seller’s return policy, and keep your receipts and emails.
3. Dispute the charge with your card company if the seller won’t help. The FTC explains that if you paid by credit card and got the wrong or a defective item, you can dispute the charge.
4. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general’s consumer protection office.
5. Watch for repeat charges on your card, in case you were signed up for a subscription.

What actually lowers your electric bill

Real savings go after the biggest uses. In the EIA’s 2020 home energy survey, air conditioning was about 19% of home electricity, and electric space heating and water heating about 12% each. The Department of Energy says you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7–10°F for 8 hours a day. LED bulbs, a heat pump water heater when the old tank fails, cutting standby power and moving use off-peak on a time-of-use plan all deliver measurable savings. The difference from a scam: you can check each one on your meter.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

The best answer to a miracle claim is a meter. The Kill A Watt P4400 (about $33 on the maker’s store) shows exactly what any 120-volt appliance draws, so you can see that a “saver” box changes nothing. The Emporia Vue 3 (about $199.99 with 16 sensors at Emporia) watches your whole house and every circuit from the breaker panel; most people should have a licensed electrician install it. And a 60-watt-equivalent LED like the GE Relax uses 8.5 W for the same 800 lumens, a saving you can measure on day one.

Check the Kill A Watt P4400 price on Amazon

Check the Emporia Vue 3 price on Amazon

Keep exploring

Our how to lower your electric bill guide is the honest version of what these ads promise. See what uses the most electricity, phantom power and the best energy monitors. Before you trust any rebate offer, check our home energy rebates guide. How watts and kWh work is in electrical energy, and more tips are in the energy saving tips category.

Power saver questions

Do electricity-saving boxes really work?

No. Homes are billed for the kilowatt-hours their appliances use, and a box plugged into an outlet doesn’t make those appliances need less energy. Snopes rated the StopWatt version of the offer a scam, and independent tests of similar devices found no savings. If a cheap box could cut bills by half, utilities would be giving them away in rebate programs.

Is StopWatt legit?

Snopes rated the StopWatt offer a scam in 2023. It found the ads used a doctored photo of Elon Musk, falsely tied the product to Tesla and a fake news article, and promised savings of up to 90%. StopWatt is one of several names for the same cheap “electricity-saving box.”

Does power factor correction save money at home?

Not on a normal home electric plan. Residential customers are billed per kWh of energy, and residential tariffs like PG&E’s list no power factor charge. Power factor correction can matter for large commercial and industrial customers whose utilities bill for it. A plug-in capacitor in your living room doesn’t change your kWh.

Are power saver devices dangerous?

They can be. In 2002, CPSC recalled about 45,000 Energy Smart Power Planner devices because reversed polarity posed a shock hazard. Any unknown device going into your wiring should carry a mark from a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, such as UL, ETL or CSA. If it doesn’t, don’t use it.

Where do I report an energy-saving scam?

Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general’s consumer protection office. If someone claimed to be from your utility, tell the utility too, using the phone number on your bill. If you paid by credit card, ask your card company about disputing the charge.

What’s the cheapest real way to lower my bill?

Start with the thermostat: the Department of Energy says setting it back 7–10°F for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. Then swap remaining old bulbs for LEDs, unplug the unused second fridge and idle electronics, and run laundry and dishwashers off-peak if your plan rewards it.