The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published a product recall on 28 April 2022 for the 2Pcs 90V-250V Electricity Saving Box Power Saving Device Smart Energy Saver UK, a plug-in device sold through online marketplaces1. The alert is classed as a product recall with a risk level of serious, in the category of electrical appliances and equipment1. The listings have been removed by eBay, AliExpress and Wish, and the authority is requiring the recall of the product from end users1.
The product is described as a white energy saving UK plug-in device with a bright green strip at the bottom, model SD008, country of origin China, with eBay item number 4033245974691. OPSS says it does not bear a plug compliant with BS 1363, that the earth pin and the live and neutral pins are not straight and too short, and that the plug pins are weak and liable to break off in the socket-outlet1.
Testing also examined the internal components. OPSS reports that the device was fitted with a large, unmarked capacitor connected only to the neutral side of the circuit, despite the manufacturer's energy saving claims, and that the fuse on the printed circuit board was of the low breaking capacity type and likely to explode in the event of a short circuit1. The product claimed lightning or spike protection; testing found a varistor (MOV) fitted, but OPSS says the varistors were incorrectly specified and not given adequate protection, and that varistors degrade after prolonged use, increasing fire risk in that combination1. The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 20161.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | SD008 |
| Country of origin | China |
| eBay item number | 403324597469 |
| Risk level | Serious |
| Case number | 2204-0025 |
Why it matters for households
Plug-in devices of this kind are marketed on the promise of cutting electricity bills, but they draw their standing from the socket they sit in, so the quality of the plug and its fuse is the whole of the safety case. In this instance the failures OPSS lists are at the point of connection to a home's fixed wiring: pins that are short, bent or liable to snap inside a socket-outlet, and a fuse that OPSS says is likely to explode under a short circuit1. A broken pin left in a socket affects the outlet itself, not just the device.
The recall also bears on how such products reach UK homes. The listings were hosted by online marketplaces rather than a UK retailer, and the corrective action combines removal of the listings with a recall from end users1. For a household, the practical traceability question is which business holds the sale, since OPSS names the distributor as the route to redress1. The device carries no compliant BS 1363 plug, so it sits outside the product markings and standards framework that UK plugs and sockets are built around, and outside the electrical safety regulation that governs fixed wiring and socket-outlets in homes. Recalls of this type are logged on the site's home energy product recalls and safety notices page.
What happens next
The recall notice was published on 28 April 2022 and the marketplaces named have removed the listings1. OPSS states that the authority is requiring the recall of the product from end users1. No date for completion of that recall, and no figure for the number of units affected, has been reported1.