Warning issued over 'highly dangerous' energy-saving devices which can explode

dailyrecord.co.uk:

People are being warned over 'highly dangerous' devices that claim to help householders save on their energy bills - but actually pose a risk of fire and even explosion.Video footage shows the devices shooting out sparks and risking electric shock, charity Electrical Safety First has said.Alarmingly, the devices were even found to be for sale on platforms such as eBay, with claims that they can help to reduce energy bills appealing to customers as the cost of living continues to rise.EBay said it took the findings “extremely seriously” and had immediately removed the products from sale.Electrical Safety First investigated the products after they were brought to the charity’s attention by adverts claiming that they were a way of making savings on energy bills.The charity bought four of the plug-in devices, which claimed to either save energy or “stabilise electrical current”.One was bought directly from GetMotex.com and three similar devices were bought via eBay, with all four sent to an independent lab for specialist testing.All four samples failed basic safety standards, risking fires and electric shock, the charity said.The video footage captured during testing designed to demonstrate the product’s capability to safely handle a short circuit shows the device exploding, sending fragments of hot glowing metal into the air.Further testing found failures with the size and dimension of plug pins, risking damage to the mains wall socket.Energy saving claims are broadly linked to internal electronic components called capacitors which can “smooth the electrical current”.In one of the devices tested the capacitor was not connected internally, rendering the component useless.The findings come as consumers are urged to save