An urgent warning has been issued to UK consumers over scam “eco plugs” being sold on major online platforms including Amazon, eBay, Shein, AliExpress, TikTok Shop and Temu — devices which experts say could catch fire at any moment.
Marketed as energy-saving solutions, the plugs claim to reduce electricity bills by “stabilising” voltage and “balancing” electric currents. However, consumer watchdog Which? has found these devices not only fail to deliver on their energy-saving promises but also pose a serious fire hazard.
Unsafe and Illegal
Testing of eight different plugs purchased from popular platforms revealed all failed basic UK electrical safety standards. The plugs were found to have poor-quality soldering, unmarked and non-standard capacitors, and excessive levels of lead, all of which make them illegal to sell in the UK.
“These are not just useless – they’re dangerous,” said Which? head of consumer protection policy Sue Davies. “Despite being illegal, these scam eco-plugs are still widely available, putting unsuspecting households at risk.”
In 2022, the Office for Product Safety and Standards issued multiple recalls for similar items sold on AliExpress, eBay and Wish, citing “serious risk of fire and electric shock.” Yet investigations show that sellers continue to list near-identical products, even after platforms delisted reported items.
Devices Still Being Sold
Which? found that despite alerting sellers, many devices continued to be sold under different listings. Some had already racked up dozens of sales. One eBay vendor sold over 50 three-packs of “smart electricity-saving boxes.” A product on AliExpress claimed to “reduce line loss,” while another sold by Shein was branded a “Magic Electricity-Saving Box.”
One Amazon buyer warned: “These boxes will do nothing but cause a house fire,” while another labelled it a scam.
Industry and Retailer Response
Retailers have responded to the revelations:
- Amazon: “These products have been removed. We require all items sold to comply with applicable safety laws.”
- eBay: “Listings were removed following audits. We employ AI and manual monitoring to detect and remove unsafe items.”
- Shein: “We take product safety seriously. The item was removed as a precaution while we investigate.”
- AliExpress: “We’ve removed the listings that failed Which? tests and are reviewing similar items.”
- Temu: “Our monitoring systems flagged the product and it was proactively removed before the alert.”
Call for Stronger Regulation
Consumer safety campaigners are urging the government to strengthen online marketplace regulations through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. Currently, marketplaces face limited legal responsibility for third-party products sold on their sites.
Davies added: “This case is part of a wider problem. Without tougher regulation and enforcement, dangerous goods will continue slipping through the cracks.”
What You Can Do
Consumers are being urged not to buy plug-in energy-saving devices unless they come from a verified and reputable manufacturer. Anyone who has already purchased one of these devices should stop using it immediately and report it to the platform it was bought from.
If you believe a product has caused damage or poses a risk, contact Trading Standards or the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
