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'Electricity Reduction' Devices: Do They Work?

hunck

hunck

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With electricity prices rising, ‘electricity reduction’ devices are being pushed as a way of reducing your bills. There’s a few of them around - I found this one in the Mirror:

Volt was founded by a group of Belgian engineers who set out to find a solution that would allow everyone to pay less for electricity.

By chance, while everyone was working on the project, one of the electricians (Fabien) came across a study which revealed that every year households overpay for electricity by about 28 million pounds. That is, the electricity is charged by the supplier when it is not even used.

And that's when he came up with the idea of inventing a product that would prevent unnecessary power from entering the electricity cables, allowing you to use only the electricity you need. In other words, paying much less for electricity without consuming less.
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Looks like utter bollox & those who actually have relevant qualifications & knowledge seem to be of the same opinion.
 
hunck said:
With electricity prices rising, ‘electricity reduction’ devices are being pushed as a way of reducing your bills. There’s a few of them around - I found this one in the Mirror:



Looks like utter bollox & those who actually have relevant qualifications & knowledge seem to be of the same opinion.
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And they can't explain how it works, but it works lol.

And then it has a disclaimer: It is difficult to estimate exactly how much money Volt saves because we all use different amounts of electricity depending on our home and our electrical installation.

And how is it that plugging the thing in a wall socket prevents you from being charged for extra(?) electricity? Don't know about all homes, but my electricity meter is outside attached to the side of my house. That's where the reading comes from when being charged for electricity.

Considering that the meter plus my circuit breaker box is bringing in electricity to my house before it gets to a socket, how is a plug in doing anything? It looks like a night light, but without benefit of even lighting.

:rofl::rofl::clap:
 
kesavaross said:
The Daily Mirror link is to an advert for the Volt thing that gives an explanation of how it works. My knowledge of these things is all but zero so I don't know whether the explanation is viable or not.

Daily Mirror link
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It's indistinguishable from a consignment of geriatric shoemakers.

Complete nonsense in other words. I'd be surprised if it's not a re-packaged plug-in nightlight, of the type generally used for reassure children scared of the dark or to emit sufficient light to enable less than blind stumbling to the loo in the middle of the night.
 
hunck said:
With electricity prices rising, ‘electricity reduction’ devices are being pushed as a way of reducing your bills. There’s a few of them around - I found this one in the Mirror:



Looks like utter bollox & those who actually have relevant qualifications & knowledge seem to be of the same opinion.
Click to expand...
But there's over 67 million people in the UK. If they are overpaying by 28 million pounds, isn't that roughly two pounds per person per year? I note it's saying that 'every household' overpays by 28 million, but I'm fairly sure it must be spread over the population because I'm sure I'd notice if my electricity bill came anywhere near the million pound mark.
 
catseye said:
But there's over 67 million people in the UK. If they are overpaying by 28 million pounds, isn't that roughly two pounds per person per year? I note it's saying that 'every household' overpays by 28 million, but I'm fairly sure it must be spread over the population because I'm sure I'd notice if my electricity bill came anywhere near the million pound mark.
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“There are around 28 million electricity and 23 million gas meter points (referred to as consumers in this release) in Great Britain.”

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/record-number-customers-small-and-medium-sized-suppliers

maximus otter
 
I suppose we could all rub older iPhones together, to produce some heat, or start small home fires,?
 
bakelite brain said:
They are all devices sold to genuinely worried people, but they are a con. Anyone with a bit of electrical engineering knowledge knows they are a con, but unfortunately that's very few people.
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I did assume this was the case, even though I have no electrical engineering knowledge at all. Sadly, a lot of people are very gullible or very very frightened, and I guess these are the people it will appeal to.
 
catseye said:
I did assume this was the case, even though I have no electrical engineering knowledge at all. Sadly, a lot of people are very gullible or very very frightened, and I guess these are the people it will appeal to.
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And whoever sells this makes $40.00 ea.:(
 
kesavaross said:
I live in a council tower block where there's two power points on each landing so the cleaner can plug his hoover in.

My neighbour has already bought a fan heater.
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But does that electric in the hall come out of your rent?
I unplug my stuff as they say when it is plugged in and switched on, like your microwave or toaster then electric is still trickling thro and you get charged for it.
 
Shady said:
But does that electric in the hall come out of your rent?
I unplug my stuff as they say when it is plugged in and switched on, like your microwave or toaster then electric is still trickling thro and you get charged for it.
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Depends on the appliance. Something like a basic toaster is probably literally 'off' when not in use. Anything with electronics or a display will use a trickle of power. Unless there is some setting that is wiped by loss of power, turning off at the mains won't hurt.

Our microwave has a real-time clock, we don't care about it, so we turn it off at the socket. Broadband routers might as well be off when yr not using them, if you don't mind waiting 5 minutes when you power them up in the morning. And so on...

UK sockets are often in stupid places which makes using the switches inconvenient...
 
Another scam going round is companies who will install an electric meter for you.
Which they say is more accurate than the one that your electric supplier uses to calculate your bills.

Be very afraid.

It is illegal, and classed by your supplier as tampering.

[This also applies to any attempt to splice into the meter wiring/meter tails.]

If you are caught you will have your meter removed pending a police investigation.

Which means no usable electric supply at your property.

What then usually happens is they will allow you to continue to be a customer, with a Pre Payment meter only, if you pay a deposit upwards of £1500.

So you will be heavily pushed in the direction of finding a new supplier.
 
Coal said:
Depends on the appliance. Something like a basic toaster is probably literally 'off' when not in use. Anything with electronics or a display will use a trickle of power. Unless there is some setting that is wiped by loss of power, turning off at the mains won't hurt.

Our microwave has a real-time clock, we don't care about it, so we turn it off at the socket. Broadband routers might as well be off when yr not using them, if you don't mind waiting 5 minutes when you power them up in the morning. And so on...

UK sockets are often in stupid places which makes using the switches inconvenient...
Click to expand...
I've been reading that you shouldn't turn your router off as it causes the line to think it's constantly being disrupted, and to lower your speed. Also the power it draws is so minor that you won't be saving enough to counteract the annoyance factor.

Anything generating heat is the one to turn off. I've shut down my immersion heater. A tankful of hot water every day and I only use it to wash up once in the evenings so now I just boil the kettle.
 
catseye said:
I've been reading that you shouldn't turn your router off as it causes the line to think it's constantly being disrupted, and to lower your speed. Also the power it draws is so minor that you won't be saving enough to counteract the annoyance factor.
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I always turn off my router when it's not in use.
 
catseye said:
Nothing stopping it getting hacked when you're in and awake though. Although I'm not sure this is really the menace that people think.
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Especially if you change the default passwords to something secure.
 
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