With the rising electricity bills, power savers are in demand however we sometimes get question whether these power savers are really worth. Many people are skeptical about the claims made by power saver manufacturing companies. Most individuals purchase these power savers with the intention of lowering their electricity bills.
In this artcile we will explain about power savers and if these are really worth?
What are power savers?
A household power-saving device designed for low voltage has recently garnered significant attention from both consumers and manufacturers. Power savers typically used in residential homes to save energy and reduce electricity bills. This small device can be plugged into any AC socket in the house, often near the energy meter.
Users of these power savers have reported some reduction in their electricity bills, although the decrease was not as substantial as they had anticipated. Additionally, they were uncertain whether the reduction in their bills was due to the power saver or their conscious efforts to reduce electricity consumption. The legitimacy of these devices has been a topic of serious discussion.
Power Saver working
The electricity that reaches our homes is often unstable, with frequent fluctuations, rises, falls, and surges. This unstable current cannot be used effectively by household appliances and tends to waste electricity by converting it into heat energy. This heat not only dissipates into the atmosphere but can also damage appliances and wiring circuits.
Power savers use a system of capacitors to store electricity and release it smoothly, eliminating spikes. These systems also remove carbon from the circuit, promoting a smoother electrical flow and reducing power spikes. Consequently, more of the electricity in the circuit can be utilized to power appliances.
Power savers operate on the principle of surge protection technology. They stabilize the unstable electric current to provide a consistent and smooth output. Although voltage fluctuations are unpredictable and uncontrollable, power savers act as filters, allowing only smooth current to pass through the circuit. Capacitors in the power savers store excess current during surges and release it during drops, ensuring a consistent output current.
Power Factor and Impact on Savings
Power factor plays important role to understand energy supplied and consumed concept. Lets understand few terms below and then we will understand this with Coffee Foam example.
Apparent Power – This is the total power supplied or delivered power.
Active power – Power that peform useful/productive work.
Reactive Power – Power required by components however does not perform productive work.
Lets understand this with simple Coffee & Foam example. Suppose we have one glass of Coffee with Foam.
Complete Glass is – Apparent Power, Coffee is Active Power & Foam is Reactive Power.
Coz you can drink only actual coffee which is useful and similar concept goes with electricity.
Poor Power Factor can be improved by installing Power Factor Correction (PFC) equipment and fancy name is Power Saver or Power saving device.
Basic power factor correction solutions use banks of capacitors that act as silent reactive power ‘generators’. These systems were developed many decades ago when electrical environments were simpler. They are common, very cost-effective, and suitable for linear load environments.
Power Savers and Power Factor
Power factor correction devices enhance power quality but generally do not improve energy efficiency, meaning they do not affect energy bills.
Real power savings could only be achieved if the device were used in the circuit only while a reactive load, such as a motor, was running, and removed from the circuit when the motor was not running.
This approach is impractical, as there are multiple motors in a typical home that can activate at any time (e.g., refrigerator, air conditioner, blower, vacuum cleaner). Additionally, the Power Saver is designed for permanent, unattended installation near the house breaker panel.
Safety Issues
As per electrical safety first, an independent laboratory was hired to conduct limited safety and performance tests on a variety of commercially available energy-saving products.
Five samples were randomly selected and purchased. Each sample had a voltage range of 90-250 volts, with rated loads ranging from 2500 watts to 50,000 watts.
The investigation uncovered significant safety hazards in all the products tested, and none of the manufacturers’ energy-saving claims were substantiated. The design of these devices was found to be fundamentally flawed for domestic use, and the laboratory was unable to verify any of the manufacturers’ claims.
There were risks reported with the devices and you can also see full technical report here.
Conclusion
Plug-in energy-saving devices will not lower your household electricity bill.
Independent tests have revealed that these devices have significant safety issues.
