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Beware of "Too Good to Be True" Energy Claims

Article published on Monday, August 31, 2009

Tough economic times and rising power bills understandably motivate consumers to explore money-saving options.

It's no wonder that unscrupulous marketers seize the moment by offering deceptive and ineffective products claiming to lower power bills up to 25 percent.  Accordingly, Lynches River Electric Cooperative cautions consumers to beware of energy saving products that sound too good to be true.

They go by many different names but most of these "magic box" energy devices generally promise to "fix up" a consumer's power by improving power factor.  Power factor is simply a measure of efficiency with which the power is being delivered by the utility.  Residential consumers are not billed for power factor.

"Because South Carolina cooperatives bill residential members for kilowatts used, and do not penalize for poor power factor, the homeowner would likely see no direct savings from these devices," said Mike Smith of Central Electric Power Cooperative, the wholesale power provider for Lynches River Electric Cooperative.  "Not only would they see little savings, they could be spending up to $1,200 for these bogus products."

Saving energy is not as simple as plugging a device into an outlet or a meter. Electric co-ops invest millions of dollars every year into researching the latest energy efficient and renewable energy options on the market. Many co-ops offer energy audits, weatherization programs, rebates and other assistance to members seeking answers about energy efficiency.

"It's so important for consumers to be skeptical," said Smith.  "They really should check in with their electric utility before making any purchase."

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Lynches River Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative committed to delivering reliable electric energy and related services at a competitive price, which will improve the quality of life of its customers and communities.

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