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Beware of the
Alternative Energy Scammers
June 2009
Climate change is wreaking havoc on the planet's ecosphere, or so we're
told.
What's more, the price of energy continues to climb, week after week,
month after month and year after year. So who wouldn't jump at the
chance to reduce their power bills and cut reliance on the corporations
that deliver that power?
This is what a bunch of people are relying on to sell you schemes of a
highly dubious nature and which, on closer inspection, are just another
example of the old "re-sell and ebook for profit" schemes that have
appeared before.
Yes, just as hoards of people jumped at the chance to make money by
selling these low-value eBooks to gullible idiots that dreamed of
running their cars on water, thousands are now flogging the same kind
of thing in the alternative energy sector.
MagniWork
Hello, I am the owner of the website "www.ae2009.info" and was fooled
into buying one of these Magniworks guides on 8/10/09 and the following
description lifted from
http://aardvark.co.nz/savepowerscams.shtml is true. I've yet to
try the complicated instructions to see if it actually works, but I
doubt it's going to work. If you have one you built that works, please
email me. If not, and you want a peek at the Magniwork documentation to
see how complicated it is then email me and I'll fax a peek at the
guide to you. Email: netcoord99@yahoo.com "Subject: Magniwork
scam".
Article http://aardvark.co.nz/savepowerscams.shtml is as follows:
Here is the perfect example of a blatant scam that preys on the
gullible and stupid.
The MagniWork website claims "Using our easy-to-follow guide, you will
be able create a Magnetic Power Generator which creates absolutely free
energy, and doesn't require any resource like wind or solar energy to
function, the magniwork generator creates energy by itself and powers
your home for free"
Yes, it seems these scammers are able to do what nobody has ever done
before -- break the laws of physics and extract limitless free energy.
Thanks to their unique ability to exploit "zero point energy", the
folks at MagniWork will charge you just $49 for the secrets to the
universe that have defied highly trained, experienced and skilled
physicists for so very long.
If you believe this snake oil then go to the back of the class. If you
have actually paid money for this useless drivel then please cut up
your credit-card now, you are just too much of a dupe to be trusted
with it.
Earth4Energy
Although not quite as blatant a scam as MagniWork, Earth4Energy has all
the hallmarks of a scam.
Right from the "...4..." name (just like "Water4Gas") to the bold
claims made on the website, this offering rings alarm bells.
Then there are the other warning signs common to so many similar scams:
* A horrible inordinately long webpage with lots of
big red headlines
* A computer-rendered boxed set that doesn't
actually exist but gives the impression that you're getting something
physical for your money. In fact, all the material is downloaded. There
are no DVDs or hardcopy materials provided let alone a box.
* None of the testimonial emails contain contact
information so that they may be verified
* Silly claims like being able to power your fridge
or washing machine from a home-made $200 solar panel
* The promise of "secret methods that very few
people know about"
* The promise of "batteries for free"
* The old "Limited time 50% discount" offer that
*never* expires.
* A promise that resellers of the infopack can earn
big money for little work
I'm sorry but although I'm sure there is some basic commonsense
information in this $50 package, I strongly doubt that the contents
deliver on all the promises made.
What's more, this is clearly just another Water4Gas kind of program
where the vast majority of people will be buying (and recommending) the
product solely so they can make money by duping others.
As a result, the internet is now littered with websites that claim to
honestly review Earth4Energy but which are actually just affiliate
sites seeking their 75% commission on the sale of this stuff. Likewise,
there are hundreds of videos on YouTube that claim to provide
independent advice on alternative energy but ultimately refer people to
this marketing exercise.
Unless you have absolutely no other use for $50 -- I'd steer well clear
of Earth4Energy.
Are There Others?
Hell yes, there are a huge number of scammers out there seeking to
separate folks from their hard-earned cash.
Such scams are usually pretty easy to spot and you can watch for the
list of warning signs I've already itemized for the Earth4Energy
product.
Whenever considering a product, an offer or a service that sounds too
good to be true or which makes incredible claims -- just stop and think
for a while.
If it's so good, why is it being sold through a crappy website and
network of highly commissioned affiliates rather than through more
conventional channels?
If it's so good, why is it apparently discounted so heavily?
Why would anyone give away "secrets" when such "secrets" could
obviously be leveraged to create huge profits if they were used to
create superior products at lower prices?
I'd like to hear from anyone who's spotted other energy scams on the
web and I'll keep a register of them online, so everyone can see.
Real Energy Alternatives
Is it really possible to generate your own electricity at a very low
cost?
Well yes, but the amount you can generate will be small and there are
numerous issues involved with actually being able to use it for
practical purposes.
Most low-cost generation systems that you can build yourself will only
output relatively low voltages (12V-50V) and more likely than not, this
will be direct-current.
You can use that power to charge an array of batteries -- but *good*
batteries are expensive.
You could use car batteries but they do not like being more than
partially discharged on a regular basis so even though they might be
capable of storing nearly 1,000 watts, the maximum you can safely draw
from them is 500W or less.
If you buy real "deep discharge" batteries your wallet will take a huge
hit.
And, even once you have a good bank of well charged batteries, putting
out 12V or 50V, what can you use it for?
Most houses are wired for 110V-240V AC, and this is what most
appliances are designed to run from. Virtually none of your existing
appliances will run directly from a low-voltage DC source such as the
one you can build yourself. You'll need an inverter to lift that low DC
voltage to a higher AC one.
Good inverters are not cheap and they are limited in the amount of
power they can handle.
Even if you do invest in such a device, you now have the problem that
you can't just hook it up to your house-wiring without first
disconnecting the feed that comes from the power company. This requires
a trained professional and will cost more money -- even if your utility
company agrees.
Given that there's just no way you'll be able to generate all your
electricity needs from a $200 windmill or solar array, you'll need some
way of switching back and forth as needed - that's more money.
What's more, your batteries and inverter will almost certainly be
unable to cope with the normal electrical loads found in a regular
house. Your airconditioning alone may be too much load and you can
forget about using the electric stove.
In short, there are no truly effective cheap methods to free yourself
from the power company or even to significantly and practically
supplement the power they deliver.
The only truly successful alternative power installations are those
where the owner has spent quite a bit of money (far in excess of $200)
to buy good products and have them professionally integrated into their
existing power supply. In most cases, to fully utilize this alternative
energy, it becomes necessary to replace otherwise energy-intensive
appliances with low-power or alternatively fueled options.
If you really want to reduce your power bill and you only have $200 to
spend, you'd be much better advised to invest in a little more
insulation for your home. That'll keep you warmer in winter and cooler
in summer while reducing your heating/air-conditioning bills.
Sorry folks -- no free lunches, not even on the internet.
Please spread the word to save people from wasting their cash and help
put these scammers out of business. Link to this page and tell your
friends about it.
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THE TRUTH
(See "Your Opinion" on the previous menu in time for
a blog
where you can tell the truth too. It will be a blog where you can read
and contribute the truth. So much on the internet are lies and when it
comes to spending your money you want to be able to trust. This will be
your Consumer Reports for Alternative Energy! Keep checking the link
"Your Opinion"! This will be there soon!)
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08/12/09 Update:
SOLAR PANELS ARE MORE AFFORDABLE AND THE GOV'T IS NOW
GIVING TAX
CREDITS AS REPORTED ON TV (HEADLINE NEWS-CNN)
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THE GOV'T IS ALSO GIVING TAX CREDITS FOR ON DEMAND
WATER HEATERS.
WATER HEATER FED TAX CREDITS & SAVINGS ARE BACK AGAIN!
Save money on your water bill ! Water Heater Fed Tax Credits are back
for 2009 / 2010!
Now I should be getting a referral payment if you go buy one, but I'm
not. I just want to
do my good deed for today by telling you that if you have an electric
bill then there is a tankless water heater out there for you. They come
in electric, gas or propane models, permanent in the basement or more
portable under the sink models. You decide!
Here is one place you can go to start reviewing them:
http://www.tanklesswaterheatersdirect.com/index.htm and the link there
or at http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm gets you what you need to
know about getting the credits.
Spread the word about saving money and energy !
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Have you watched the Al Gore movie yet? See the movie and check back
here as we report how society is doing on the fight!
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