Do Energy-Saving Devices Really Work?

Energy costs are rising by as much as 3% per year. But, of course, that’s not financially feasible in the long run. There’s also the fact that using electricity isn’t good for the environment. For this reason, energy-saving devices and energy-saving appliances are becoming more popular.

However, do energy-saving devices work? In terms of energy-efficient appliances, the answer is yes. But, there are then also special “power savers” that may not work as advertised. So let’s take a closer look.

What are Energy-Saving Devices?

First, there are energy-efficient devices and appliances. These could be things like energy-efficient light bulbs, low-energy usage appliances, etc.

Then, there are the so-called power savers, which are admittedly quite popular. Power savers are small devices you plug into an outlet and then plug your devices into that power saver.

The theory here is that this power saver can reduce electricity consumption. But, unfortunately, as you are going to find out, these don’t work.

Do Energy-saving Devices Really Work … YES!

Regular energy-efficient devices and appliances do work. Let’s take a quick look at a few popular examples, such as the simple LED light bulb. A 60-Watt incandescent light bulb uses 60 watts of energy to produce 900 lumens of light. On the other hand, an LED bulb uses only 8 watts of power to achieve that same result.

Moreover, there are energy-efficient appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, etc.

What makes these energy-efficient differ from one appliance to another? First, they all have specific devices installed to use energy more efficiently and recycle energy.

Smart wall outlets and power strips are designed to cut the power off when a device plugged into them is not being used. When devices aren’t being used, they still consume some power if they’re plugged in, and these smart wall outlets and power strips completely cut power usage.

A Note on So-Called Power Savers

When many people hear “energy-saving devices,” they think of the so-called “power savers,” often called power quality conditioners. These power-quality conditioners are designed to improve the power factor of appliances by using capacitors. They also use surge protective devices and filters to reduce harmonic currents.

Many manufacturers of these power-saving devices claim they can help reduce energy usage by 20%. The claim is that plugging your fridge into one of these power savers will automatically use 20% less energy. Although this is complicated, these power savers can sometimes improve the power factor.

The power factor is the ratio of working power compared to apparent power; this compares how much power is being put into an appliance compared to how much it is actually to run. It’s all about energy usage efficiency.

So, these power savers are designed to cut down on wasted energy. However, there is always some energy that goes to waste. These power savers may slightly increase the power factor, thus increasing efficiency. But according to official studies, these devices can’t even help you save 1% of that energy usage. They can’t even save 1% of that energy, compared to the 20% that they are advertised as being able to save. So, they may slightly improve the power factor, but they don’t make much difference in overall consumption.

These power savers do not work in reality. You’re better off using energy-efficient appliances and devices. These power savers certainly don’t make sense for basic residential purposes.

The Bottom Line on Energy-Saving Devices

These so-called “power savers” might not work, but energy-efficient appliances certainly do. But you can take many other steps at home to reduce your energy usage. Having an energy-efficient home seems difficult to achieve but you can start by simply using power-saving devices that work.