These devices actually have the capability to reduce your power consumption by a great factor. You're gonna need a lot of them for this though. You need to connect them to all the outlets in your house. This works because you no longer have any outlets to plug your power hungry devices in anymore.

Love how you literally picked everything apart and showed us what happened! Great vid man :)

4:36 - That breaker box is beautifully organized. Makes American electrician's wiring look like Thailand workers.

Thank God i found this great explanation, my mom wants me to buy one of these crappy devices for her. I will show her this video. Great work.

I guess these are about like all of the expensive products that claim to increase your car's gas mileage, but really don't.

You got a nice anodized aluminium case for a future project :)

I’ve seen Big Clive talk about this so much, but it’s really nice to see the practical examples on your scope. It helps to understand exactly what’s happening.

Good explanation, where I worked we had good size coolers for produce, meat, cheese, etc. We replaced the old ammonia system with 2 new freon systems, which were supposed to save a lot of money. Turned out it about doubled the electric cost. The electricians decided it was feeding back too much unused power back, since the new systems weren't working as hard as the older bigger ammonia compressor. They decided to install a big capacitor box like the small ones to cut down the bills, we had 3 phase with a demand meter. It did make a huge difference. Sorry I couldn't describe it better.

VERY impressive! I think we all knew the outcome beforehand, but your analytical methods are really impressive and fun to watch! :)

Marketing these days ... you can sell ice to Eskimos .

You should make a series called Bullshit or Not and look at things like this

Awesome video. I'm a civil engineer, and based only on the limited electrical engineering courses I had in my first 2 years, I could easily follow your video.

The way you ripped the booklet apart at the end was sooo satisfying ;)

Great example! Thanks for going into the device and giving a detailed description and exposing the truth about the electrical junk people try to sell on the internet! I appreciate what you did.

I really had my doubts on this gadgets. Thank you for the logical explanations

Don't understand any of it but thank you for taking the time to explain it so thoroughly and clearly

that last part made me laugh so hard. " Let's change Germany to China " HAHAHAHA too good

For anyone curious, there is an actual industrial application to these things. As Scott said in the video, motors and capacitors create opposing shifts, the shift itself being called a "power factor" (a ratio of how much of your power is real). It's usually considered impractical and not bothered with to have residential customers billed for their power factor, but industrial customers often have a heavily skewed power factor without effort to fix this as their power consumption is heavily biased towards the inductive side due to (somewhat obviously) motors. As a result, factories bring people in to improve their power factor which does amount to adding some amount of capacitance. There's a bit about this in the wikipedia article on power factor. The idea that this would help a residential customer is pretty ridiculous, and there's a definite amount of cringe related to seeing a cheaply made metal box with no grounding they expect you to plug into your mains voltage.

Superbly explained! I like the way you have clearly explain the definition of these devices and also that it is imperative to forget about these Chinese appliances

What I really like about your videos is that even a 4 year old video still feels fresh and relevant today. A lot of videos on other KZfaqr don't age well and are almost cringe worthy.

Great video ! I wonder why do they add something inside the box... This system can only decrease the reactive current if the user is running a very specific motor... In any other situation, this system increases the reactive power (especially when noting is plugged...) so, clearly, it is both bad for user and power grid ! If I was one the "engineers" who created this device, I would have just put a piece of iron in it to make weight ;-)

D*mn! That fuse box looks so clean! (._.)

Hey Scott; i just watched your video about power savers and loved it - its not my field but you made it easy to understand that we can understand...:) My passion is alternative energy - solar, wind and hydraulic, and I would love to learn from you few simple projects to share with my kids. Best tutorial ever, because we can see you know!

I worked in the electric utility business for 36 years. My recommendation to people that wanted to lower their bill was to turn shit off. When you really think about it, electricity is cheap considering what all we can do with it. I enjoyed the video. Thanks.

They traditionally worked, though not now. I'm from China and I can recall when I was a kid, those capacitor things worked with older electricity meters. Older meters are not designed to take capacitive loads, and in some occasions, they will spin backwards under pure capacitive loads (no other appliances on, only that capacitor). In other words, those capacitors don't save power, they steal power by hacking old energy meters.

Thank you man.. I just seen an ad about those “power saving” devices and knew it was too good to be true so I KZfaqd it and watched your video for confirmation. You went above and beyond and gave great explanation with detail. I’m an electrical apprentice and it just shows me I have a lot more to go to be where you’re at. So thanks for clearing that up and good luck with your channel, I wish you much success!

Loved the ending 🤣 Thank you so so much for saving me money and explaining how this works.

Really great.....as an electrical engineer and electronics hobbyist I like your videos a lot.

I do alot of dealing with manufacturers in china and can say with confidence that they will do anything to make a sale, whether or not its out right lying or bait and switching. Ive caught out on many occasions shipping being ramped up so they take the profits (found this out when they were forced to admit when i offered my own courier to pick it up), do not trust anything you see from chinese exporters unless you are 100% certain.

It's good that someone understand and explain these things to simple person like me . Thanks a lot bro . Peace

omg, I was gona buy this, put something told me not too. Then this morning I watched your video. I am very impressed and subscribed (i usually don't get impressed or subscribed)!!! Love your wisdom and thank you so much for helping us understand. You make it so enjoyable ....can't wait to hear your other videos. Yay!!!

Well, this device CAN actually save power under the right circumstances. Let us for once imagine the power meter in the consumer unit. Say you have a 40m Cu 2,5mm^2 supply cable. The load is 4500VA with an inductive cosphi of 0.7, and the voltage by the load is 240V. Now; S=3500VA, P=2450W, Q=2500VAr The current is 2450W/240V*0.7 = 14.6A. We’ll use 0.00750ohms/m for the cable. 14.6A*0.00750*40m*2 = 8.8W (real power) dissipated in heat in the inductors. In this case the power meter reads 2458.8W. We insert the “power saver” near the load, and assign it the value of 20uF. In Norway we have 50Hz, therefore Xc = 159ohm. The capacitive reactive power of the “power saver” is 240^2/159=361.8VAr. We now get a Q = 2500 - 361.8 = 2138.2VAr, and thereby a S = 3252VA, cosphi = 0.75 The current is now 2450/240*0.75 = 13.6A, (real) power dissipated in heat = 8.16W. The power meter now reads 2458.2W. Well, point proven; 2458.8W > 2458.2W, so in this case it saves a tiny bit of energy over time. This was written to you who say the product cannot save power at all, because it CAN, but it is still a shitty product made to screw people, i can agree on that.

Very good video about this devices !! Keep up the good work ! Actually this method using capacitors parallel (power factor correction) to inductive loads is being used in big factories who they have large amounts of inductive loads like motors, since the power companies monitor also the current being drawn from the power lines.

so lets change Germany to China.... 😂

I now check anything and all items I find online. This was great. Didn't understand a thing you said. But when you changed the country to China and tore up the pamphlet, your review was clear as day, saved me money right there. Thank you

I got to your channel for school but now im here

Great video! Dave from EEVBlog did a video on this same product, but I think you explained how it works better ;)

"Lets change germany to china" lolol i was laughing so hard

First of all. I had one of your videos suggested to me back in early 2014. Some weeks ago other of your videos start showing up on my KZfaq feed, then I gave it a chance and then I found that I had already in this channel. Well... I have only one thing to say to you: You have talent! Your videos are entertaining, teachful and succinct. I don't have english as my first language and it's very easy to understand you. Unfortunately I don't have how to support you right now, but I hope you keep growing. Creers bud :)

Thanks. I just saw this item advertised on Facebook, and I thought it was odd all the comments were turned off, so I decided to research it on KZfaq. Thanks, because I almost purchased one.

How to save power and reduce your energy bill? Buy more efficient appliances.

Very well produced and this made the explanation very clear. I've always thought there was no way these things could work unless they were somehow tunable to match the reactance of the load on them. Thanks for studying these so that I don't have to. Regards

I came here because the ad for one of those devices was so catchy I had to come see you for myself.

Somebody had $1 million idea and he banked on it because some people bought it but I wanted to see if it was going to save me money. I received an email save 90% on your electricity bill That’s why am watching this video. Thanks for the video you save me money.

Awesome, clearly presented and excellent! Thank you for explaining why this is a scam in such a well-documented manner! May the force be with you! :)

"saving electricity means saving money, saving money means earning money" -chinese strategy to bait customer XD

Great Video! I would love to see more like these! Taking some random trending cheap object, and see how it works, if it really do what it's supposed to do, and learn a bit more about electrctronics!

Saw on tiktok plan to buy, i like videp like this when a real expert reveal the truth. Thank you so much sir!

I was hoping for some answers to why people think this saves money but I have to find a seller that can explain why they think it does. I don't want to know the fact, because I know them, I want to know the snake oil story.

at least you obtained a nice aluminium case for a future project :)

The most clear and dead clear video I saw about this subject, thanks buddy for sharing!

Excellent Presentation, this small logic many customers do not under stand

I was always curious about that so called "power saver" that do they really save power😵 And yes they are Bullshit thanks greatscott 😀

At least you now have a metal project box ...

Congrats on 1 million subscribers!

1st month bill came 10% lower.. 2nd month bill came 10% lower than previous... Now waiting for the 3rd month bill.. Added another one more device.. Lets see.. Thanks to Scott's review

Thanks for the heads-up! I've been seeing these things on the web and thought they were too good to be true. Thanks for the proof!

@4:36 is that breaker box normal in germany? for fucks sake, my box looks like a nuclear reactor control board from 1940

I sort of understand what you said but I have had a power bill normally at 140 a month but now I’m paying 76 a month but the difference is I have one working on the left side of the panel of the electric and then the other one on the right side so I am saving money

amazing video as always your analytical depth is just great

Hey Scott... a video about 555 please you can add it in Basics series

But its got a cool little led so it must work

There are power conditioners that actually work for inductive loads but only with 3 phase power which is only in commercial/industrial applications. Residential power is single phase.

I've seen another video on these(EEVblog) and it explained what these would be good for big motors. The video also noted that, unless you're in an industrial setting or in a weird country where people get charged by power factor, these devices are worthless.

Thank your your evaluation and explanation base on electronic theory. Your are genius

Is there anything that scope CAN'T do ? :)))

Possibly the most beautiful video I have seen in years, even down to the wagos, awesome dude, totally awesome.

It seems to me that you accidentally swapped the scope images. The one at 2:59 shows the lagging motor current (with irregularities caused by the commutation). The nicer sinusoidal current at 2:48 shows the current draw of the capacitor. It is leading, contrary to what you say. Anyway, you explained it well, quite in line with your other postings.

Awesome Man!

That was the best explanation of what Power Factor is, and also why it doesn't mean anything for domestic power meters. I learnt something :-)

Thanks for this video, cured my curiosity from the ad I saw during a mobile game.

Energy is needed to do work. Save with efficiencies like closing a window on a cold day to reduce your heating bill. What a world we live in! LED hats to grow hair and little black boxes to cut electric bill in half. How about an antenna that you insert in yourself to pickup the natural frequency of earth, synchronize your body, and double your lifespan? Thanks Great Scott! Good video!

You notice online, when anyone asks, “do these really work”? The question is totally avoided?! SCAM!

"Chinese Power Saver - Does it actually save power? " Sure it does, but only while traveling through another dimension.

Thank you so much for confirming my thoughts. I don’t understand how they can get away with advertising such lies. Unfortunately so many r so strapped financially that they will buy it in hope that it works.

Excellent video. I didn't undertsand much of it until you said, basically, that it didn't work.

Next you should check cheap stuff from the dollar store. Most are crappier than this. The only reason I buy some electronics from it is because I simply take it apart and use its parts. You cant seriously use this stuff

scott could you also do a review about thise anti radiation stickers that claim they reduce cellular radiation and energy consumption

How do 801 people give this video a thumbs down?? This is a Super informative and helpful video. Everybody’s allowed to have their own opinion, but in this case, if you gave the video a thumbs down you’re wrong and an idiot.

- Try capacitors with electric non-synchronous motors (typically refrigerator's motors) as reactive power - it helps a little. And when before counter somewhere connected reactive electric motor - plugged capacitor even can turn counter's wheel backwards! (sry, bad enGrish)

so wy there are so many substations using Capacitors banks?

I've never heard of this device, my mother bought one for the holidays to give to me...... I knew it was BS just by reading the little booklet.

GreatScott! Thanks so much for your review. I was about to consider buying one of these useless gadgets and you saved me from wasting my money! Thank you!

About the inductive load: You hear so often that motors act like inductive loads - well - not really. if the motor is free running then yes. But if it is under load the powerfactor normally gets pretty close to 1, so a resistive load with a tiny tiny inductive load in parallel.

You should debunk more chinese $hit$ellerS

I think the trick is, it will burn your house down. Collect the insurance money and have $0 electric bill. PROFIT

Here in Brazil, when you have alot of inductive load in your house/company the supplier force you to have an Capacitor bank, to ajust the curve of consumption, if I'm not mistaken the consumption should be at least 92% resistive.

Been waiting for someone to take a look at this

Is it possible to make a real one?if yes can you make one?

Now here comes GreatScott, that now BUSTED this fenomenally unsenseful (no making sense) instrument. Thx for being inspired by EEVSBlog! Keep more busting no sense electronic contraption! Help EEVSBlog open consumer's eye in front of producers and distributor!

Thank you from this video. It saved me 45 dollars that I didn't really

My Brain Melted From The Numbers And Things You Kept Saying Good Job 👏

Scott... i have tried something like it but with huge capacity of capacitor... if China thing only using 2 till 5 micro farads... i use 2 capacitors, one is 40 micro farads 400 volt and the second is 50 micro farads 400 volt... but i use them alternately, one at noon and one in the evening... from my first installation till now, i got huge reduction my electricity bill... before i am using them, i should pay about almost average 20 dollars of my electricity bill every month(in my house there are many wall and standing fans and one of them is big and active almost 18 hours per day, 1 tv, 1 set huge amplifier active 3 hours everyday, 1 refrigerators active 24 hours, 1 dispenser active 24 hours, 1 water pump active 4 hours everyday, 1 rice warmer cooker active 24 hours, and many house lights type LED but i know those lamps not too much using electricity power and of course in my room have some devices using huge electricity power everyday)... but for last 10 months, my parents happy cause i got only about 15 dollars of my electricity bill... i live in INDONESIA and my neighbors also my relative still confused when look my electricity bill, they said(in INDONESIA language) "with those stuffs, you just got about 15 dollars? i got about 30 dollars every month!"... also some electricity worker have been visited my house for checking it and they got surprised! "these things for plant but you use it at home, great!!!"

156 chinese disliked this video.

Wow, you are very intelligent in the electrical engineering area. I hope a company has you as an employee working for them

I don't know what you just said, but it sounded brilliant.

*Made in Germachina*

lol change germany to china...😁

WOW!!! What a wonderful explanation!!! Thanks

I find this video is very informative. Thank you very much for debunking these devices, sir.