Dangerous ‘eco plugs’ still widely available to buy online, Which? warns

Illegal and potentially dangerous scam ‘energy-saving’ plugs are still widely available to buy on the biggest online marketplaces, despite failing Which? safety tests and being subject to multiple government recalls.

So-called ‘energy saving’ devices can seem appealing to consumers who may be struggling with increased energy bills or those who would like to make more eco-friendly purchases. These plugs claim to save customers money on their electricity bills by ‘stabilising’ voltage and ‘balancing’ electric current to ‘optimise’ the performance of household appliances.

However, Which? researchers tested eight devices from AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Shein, Temu and TikTok Shop and found no evidence that they worked.

More concerningly, they failed basic electrical safety standards, meaning they are illegal and potentially dangerous. The platforms removed the listings reported after being contacted by Which?, but despite repeatedly claiming customer safety is a top priority, many identical-looking devices were still available weeks later.

This is not the first time Which? has raised the alarm about the safety of these products. In 2022, researchers tested near-identical devices from Amazon and eBay twice and reported them to their platforms, which then delisted them.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards officially recalled four similar devices on AliExpress, eBay and Wish in 2022, citing a ‘serious risk of fire and electric shock’.

Many of the devices made dubious energy-saving claims, which led to a raft of poor customer reviews. Despite nearly half of the 33 ratings for one device on Amazon receiving one-star reviews, the device continued to be available to buy. It was even shipped from an Amazon warehouse.

Another device available on AliExpress promised to ‘reduce’ line loss and ‘improve’ power factor. Some 260 shoppers had bought this AliExpress ‘choice’ product, which was handled and shipped directly by the marketplace.

An eBay seller who had sold 50 three-packs of ‘smart electricity-saving’ boxes claimed that they use ‘a capacitor system to store electrical energy, allowing it to be released more smoothly’.

Most of the items Which? researchers looked at had poor quality soldering, contained too much lead, which is tightly regulated due to potential health side effects, and had unmarked non-standard capacitors indicating they were not manufactured in the UK and therefore potentially unsafe.

Consumers are also being exposed to numerous adverts and promotional videos for scam ‘energy-saving’ boxes on social media platforms that operate as online marketplaces. For example, adverts for these devices were found on Instagram and Facebook, some of which featured the face of tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to add a veneer of authenticity.

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said:

“It’s incredibly concerning to see that these scam eco-plugs are still widely available on many online marketplaces, despite the fact that they are illegal and potentially a danger to their users.

“Sadly, it’s not surprising that these dangerous items have reappeared on major online marketplaces. It fits the pattern we’ve seen following countless Which? investigations and is yet more evidence of why change is needed.

“The government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill must be strengthened to give online marketplaces a clear legal responsibility for ensuring dangerous products don’t make their way onto their sites – with tough enforcement action against those that fall short.”

Right of replies 

An Amazon spokesperson said:

“Safety is a top priority at Amazon and we want customers to shop with confidence on our stores.”

“We require all products to comply with applicable laws and regulations and we take action to maintain a safe selection for our customers. These products have been removed.”

An eBay spokesperson said:

“Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We take a proactive approach to keeping our site safe that – among other measures – includes auditing compliance documentation from sellers. Both listings from which Which? did the test purchases were subject to our audits. Because the sellers did not provide sufficient documentation, we had already removed the two listings before Which? informed us that the products are unsafe.

“In addition to these audits, eBay uses block filter algorithms aimed at preventing unsafe and prohibited listings, and regular monitoring by our in-house specialists, supported by AI. If we find an unsafe product, we remove it immediately. Our Regulatory Portal also enables authorities from around the world to report listings, and unsafe items are automatically removed within two hours.”

A spokesperson for SHEIN said:

“SHEIN takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to its customers. Upon learning of any claims, SHEIN immediately removes the item(s) from its site as a precaution while the company investigates.

“On SHEIN Marketplace, both SHEIN-branded products as well as products from a global network of third-party sellers are available. All vendors are required to comply with SHEIN’s code of conduct and must abide by the relevant laws and regulations of the countries the company operates in. SHEIN works closely with international third-party testing agencies such as Intertek, SGS, BV and TUV, to carry out daily risk-based sampling tests to ensure suppliers’ compliance to product safety standards.

“In 2024, SHEIN performed more than two million tests including chemical tests, with these third-party agencies, as well as a CNAS-accredited laboratory, and removed over 260 marketplace sellers from our site due to non-compliance.”

A spokesperson for AliExpress said:

“AliExpress takes product safety very seriously, and we have strict rules and policies in place to ensure a safe online shopping environment. Third-party sellers who list items for sale on our marketplace must comply with the law and with our platform rules and policies. The listings of the product that failed Which?’s test have been removed. Also, we have conducted the verification and removed the similar products that have been identified to be problematic.”

A spokesperson for Temu said: 

“Temu takes a multi-pronged approach to product monitoring and requires traders to meet the safety standards of the markets they are selling to. In this specific case, our proactive monitoring had flagged the product and removed it from our platform before your email.”

TikTok did not provide a comment for publication.

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