You’ve seen the ad. It’s usually a blurry video or a crisp, high-budget-looking news clip where Elon Musk—arguably the most famous billionaire on the planet—is holding a small plastic box. He looks into the camera and tells you that the "big energy companies" are lying to you. He says he’s invented a tiny "electric saver" that can slash your power bill by 90% just by plugging it into a wall. It sounds revolutionary. It sounds like exactly the kind of thing a guy who sends rockets to Mars would build.
Honestly? It's a total fabrication.
The "Elon Musk electric saver" isn't a Tesla product. It isn't a SpaceX spin-off. It’s actually one of the most persistent and successful marketing scams currently haunting social media feeds. These devices, sold under names like StopWatt, Pro Power Save, EcoWatt, and MiracleWatt, have zero connection to Elon Musk. In fact, if you crack one open, you’ll usually find nothing more than a simple LED light and a cheap capacitor that does absolutely nothing to lower your utility costs.
The Fake Endorsement Machine
Scammers are getting incredibly good at this. They use AI-generated deepfakes to clone Musk’s voice, matching his specific stutter and cadence to perfection. They’ll even overlay his voice onto real footage of him speaking at Tesla events or on the Joe Rogan Experience. One particularly viral version of this scam claimed the Department of Justice tried to ban the device because it was "too effective," only for Musk to "win" the right to sell it to the public.
None of that happened.
The DOJ never sued Musk over a power-saving plug. He has never mentioned these devices on X (formerly Twitter), and there isn't a single record of Tesla filing a patent for a consumer-grade plug-in "energy stabilizer."
It’s not just Elon, either. We’ve seen deepfakes of Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Swift, and even Mark Cuban "endorsing" these little boxes. The strategy is simple: tie a questionable product to a person known for innovation or wealth to bypass your natural skepticism.
Why These Devices Physically Cannot Work
Let’s talk about the actual science for a second, because the marketing for these gadgets uses a lot of "word salad" to sound legitimate. They love terms like "Power Factor Correction" and "Current Stabilization."
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Here is the reality of how electricity works in your house:
- Your Meter Only Cares About Real Power: Residential electricity meters measure Kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is "active" or "real" power. Some appliances (like those with motors) create "reactive" power, which is essentially wasted energy that bounces back and forth in the wires.
- Industrial vs. Residential: Large factories are often billed for reactive power, so they use massive capacitor banks to correct their "power factor." However, power companies do not charge residential homeowners for reactive power. 3. The Math Doesn't Add Up: Even if these tiny $50 plugs actually improved your home's power factor—which they don't, because they are far too small—your bill wouldn't change. Your meter literally ignores the type of "waste" these devices claim to fix.
Basically, trying to save money on your electric bill with one of these is like trying to improve your car's gas mileage by changing the color of the paint. It’s irrelevant to how the "engine" is actually measured.
The "Green Light" Illusion
If you buy one of these and plug it in, a little green light turns on. That’s it. That’s the "tech."
Electrical engineers who have disassembled these units—like the experts at Bitdefender and various independent tech reviewers—have found that the internal components are often worth less than $3. In some cases, the devices are even dangerous. Because they are cheaply manufactured in factories with little oversight, they can lack proper fuses or fire-retardant casing.
There have been reports in the UK and the US of these "savers" overheating or causing small electrical fires. You’re literally paying $50 for a fire hazard that might actually increase your bill slightly because that little LED light is technically drawing a tiny amount of power.
Red Flags You Can Spot in 5 Seconds
The internet is a wild place, but these scams usually follow a very specific script. If you see an ad for an "Elon Musk Electric Saver," look for these tells:
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- Extreme Urgency: "Only 14 units left in your state!" or "Banned in 24 hours!"
- The "One Secret" Narrative: They always claim they are fighting against "Big Energy" or a "corrupt system."
- Fake News Interfaces: The link often takes you to a site that looks like CNN, Fox News, or Forbes, but the URL is something weird like
elon-tech-deals-now.top. - The 90% Claim: No device can save you 90% on electricity unless it’s a solar array or a literal "off" switch for your entire house.
What Actually Lowers Your Bill
If you’re genuinely struggling with high energy costs, skip the magic plugs. There are real, boring ways to save money that actually show up on your meter.
Start with a Smart Thermostat. Heating and cooling are the biggest energy hogs in any home. Using a device that learns your schedule can legitimately cut your bill by 10-15%.
Check your LED bulbs. Swapping out old incandescents is the fastest ROI you can get in home improvement. Also, consider vampire power. Devices like your microwave, TV, and game consoles suck power even when they're "off." A simple power strip that you flip off at night is infinitely more effective than any "stabilizer" you'll find on a Facebook ad.
Lastly, call your utility company. Most of them offer free "energy audits" where a professional comes to your house and shows you exactly where your heat or AC is leaking out. They’ll often give you free weatherstripping or high-efficiency showerheads just for asking.
The Bottom Line
Elon Musk is busy building rockets and Neuralink chips; he isn't selling $49 plastic plugs on late-night internet ads. These devices are a "tax on the curious," designed to exploit people who are rightfully frustrated with rising utility costs.
If an ad features a celebrity holding a product and promising a "miracle" that breaks the laws of physics, it’s a scam. Every single time.
Next Steps for You:
If you’ve already bought one of these, contact your bank immediately to dispute the charge as a "fraudulent transaction." Do not attempt to contact the "company" for a refund, as they often use your contact info to sell you more scams. Unplug the device and dispose of it at an e-waste center; it is not worth the risk of an electrical fire. Stick to verified Energy Star appliances and basic home sealing to see real movement on your monthly utility statement.