Vîrgîl vs. Da Scammers

[Virgil Showlion]

This one has been around for a decade, apparently.

A representative from your power company calls you up shortly after you've received your bill, indicates "We noticed you're paying more than <some value>, you qualify for a cost savings device."

The figure they mentioned was "up to 40% savings" by plugging a device into a wall near your breaker box, supposedly by limiting quiescent current consumption and by correcting the power factor (PF) of your house.

These are in fact theoretically legitimate ways to reduce power consumption, but the 40% figure set off bells and whistles in my mind. Even with an unimaginably bad appliance setup, you're looking at an absolute worst-case home PF of 0.85. The most you could theoretically get out of the device is ~15%—assuming your power company charged you for reactive power (which they don't) and the device had sufficient "moxie" to fully correct the PF (which it doesn't).

Some analysis with reasonable assumptions show that in reality the device would reduce power consumption negligibly (mostly due to avoiding line losses, assuming the device worked perfectly), hence it's a dud from an environmental standpoint as well. You'd be lucky if you could ring out a solid 1% reduction.

Very polished scam. An answer for every question. No payment until delivery of the device. Two month money back guarantee. And they claim to be affiliated with your power provider as part of a government-sponsored green initiative. I could see them burning a lot of people who want nothing more than to do good by the environment.

Don't be fooled.

Also, I had to laugh. The line dropped out a few times, which usually means a saturated VOIP line (a.k.a. cheap-o call center). At least they're frugal.

[Green Eyed Lady]

lol....go get em, Virgil!

[Virgil Showlion]

May 28, 2012 18:22:31 GMT -5 Green Eyed Lady said:

lol....go get em, Virgil!

I never said I won.

I figured if one device could save me 40% on my power bill, then buying five of them would cause the electric company to send me a cheque for 100% of my monthly power bill.

Then DW had to get all technical and "realistic" on me. *tsk*

[Colleenz]

V.S. - Putting processes in places bannings could do.

Love the sin, smite the sinner...