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My post on the Magniwork free energy scam was so popular that there must be a strong need out there for someone to uncover all of these free energy scams on the web. With energy prices continuing to rise, it is an unfortunate fact that scams promising “Never pay for energy again!” or “lower your bills 50%” are going to always be around. I covered one such scam back in April regarding power factor correction.
Let me re-iterate this fact: The only way to lower your energy consumption is active conservation. There is no magic pill. Monitor, insulate, turn things off, use things less, etc. If you want renewable energy, you can have a professional install a solar system or wind generator, but it will probably be expensive. You will not save money building your own! You may end up with solar panels, but will they really produce a meaningful amount of energy? Do you want to put them on the roof that your family lives under?
***Update 11/11/09 – So I decided to go on ClickBank and see if they had any “energy” guides that I could recommend that weren’t scams. Guess what? Their top 7 “energy” related guides looked like scams to me. Here’s a screen-shot of the first 7 energy scam articles:
So what is each item above:
- Magniwork
- Earth4Energy
- Power4Home
- GreenDIYenergy
- Home Made Energy
- Magnets4Energy
- Free Power Blueprint (another perpetual motion scam)
Of all I’ve seen, the GreenDIYenergy is the least scammish, but still a little misleading. But hey, if you don’t want to take my word, go ahead an buy one of these plans. I wont say I told you so (yes I will). Basically, people scammers upload their “guides” to ClickBank, then other people can sell those guides and earn a commission.
***Update 09/02/09 – Martin was kind enough to try and post a comment on my Power Factor Correction Scam post, but when I did a little research I discovered Martin is involved in a new scam I have not heard about called magnets4energy. Guess what! Looks like it is the same people behind Magniwork and Ambigrid. My post on Magniwork has been so popular (now the number one hit on Google) that they are trying to get ahead of the game and come up with new names. Don’t fall for it! If you want a good chuckle, you can find Martin’s site at freeenergy2010.blogspot.com (WARNING: Scam Site!), but I am not directly linking to it. Here is his comment, just so you get a feeling for how these scammers and frauds are trying to operate:
Interesting post, i found very cool clips on you tube of free magnetic energy generators and was absolutely fascinated. These are worth having a look at. Marty.
*Original post below
Ambigrid
I found Ambigrid on one of the scam websites promoting Magniwork and was amazed at how similar the Ambigrid and Magniwork websites looked. After some help from www.selfseo.com I discovered that (ta da!) Magniwork and Ambigrid are registered to the same IP Address!
Brothers in Crime
Guess the con-artists realized that people were catching on to the Magniwork name. Now I dont know what material they try to present in the Ambigrid plans, but since it is the same group of people promoting the plans, they get labeled scam by association.
Earth4Energy: While I’m not officially labeling this as a scam, it’s pretty darn close. I also did an IP address search and found that Earth4Energy is also registered in Germany, but it has a different IP address than the ones above. Could they be related?
I have been over to a friend’s house and seen the plans with my own eyes. While there is more useful information than Magniwork, it simplifies most things a great deal. I covered these guys in a recent post titled: Earth4Energy – too good to be true? The guys over at NLCPR.com have a pretty thorough analysis on what they are calling the Earth4Energy scam. I did find it interesting that some of the diagrams in Earth4Energy were the same diagrams in Magniwork. Could they be developed by the same people?
Basically, any site that offers to sell you plans to build an energy system (solar, wind, magnets, etc.) for cheaper than what you would pay a professional is probably a SCAM! Now, if they offer to teach you how to build a generator as a hobby project, that is something totally different. Also, if the site claims that the “energy companies” have been hiding the plans because of a big conspiracy, guess what…SCAM.
Electricity is not stuff to play around with. Unless you are a professional, don’t think you can buy some magic plans to save energy. If it were for real, some reputable company would be doing it already. If you have doubts, shoot me an email and run it by me. I have access to electrical engineers and reputable people in the blogosphere.
Look at it this way: All these sites claiming to “help” you are selling something. This blog isn’t. We do eventually want to make money (off ads). We are giving advice to attract readers so eventually we can make money off ads. But in order to do that we need to give good advice and be trusted. If Mapawatt violates that trust then nobody would read us.
Below are the websites I’ve found that recommend Magniwork (which is a 100% scam) or products like it. If you represent one of these websites or you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to have a healthy debate.
SCAM Sites
Anything that promotes Magniwork or Ambigrid is getting a Scam site label. If I were you, steer clear of these sites and all products they recommend.
makepowerathome.com/
ambigrid.com/
ecopoweredhome.com/
magniwork.com/
diysolarhomes.com/
easyoffgrid.blogspot.com
freeenergy2010.blogspot.com – added on 9/2/09
magnets4energy.com – added on 9/2/09
Our society constantly looks for the easy way out, but when it comes to energy, there is no magic device here. It all comes down to implementing proven technologies that are discussed on Mapawatt Blog and other reputable sites. Don’t fall for any of these scams!
***Update – 9/17/09 – So I was doing a little research, and I found this mock scam site:
http://diysolar.com
The web address looks like one of the scam ones, but it’s not. It’s worth checking out. The site actually makes fun of all the scam offers out there offering to teach you how to build your own solar panels. The best tip on diysolar.com:
Secret # 5. I know that I mentioned tax credits and rebates on my website but I never said in my video and guide book that your home made panels or wind generator would qualify for them. You see since your home made solar panels and wind generator aren’t U.L. approved and would violate the NEC code (National Electric Code) if you installed them on an occupied dwelling, you can’t get a permit to install them on your home or business. So if you can’t get a permit then you can’t apply for any tax credits or rebates.
***Update – 10/30/09 — One of the Mapawatt team members sent a link for Power 4 Home. I won’t say this is a 100% scam, but I will say they provide some misleading information. It looks like it is the exact same people behind a company mentioned above and something I’ve written about in the past, Earth 4 Energy (they aren’t that original when coming up with different names).
One thing they say on their site is: “if you generate more energy than you use, the electricity company will pay you!”. Which isn’t true! Usually, the utility will just reduce your bill by the amount of energy you produce, but if you zero out they will not pay you any more! It is information like this that makes me add them to this list.
Another annoying thing about these sites, is they have an annoying pop-up like the one below when you try to leave their “scammish” site:
It seems like every single one of the sites utilizes this tool. I wonder if they are all working together?
***update 11/11/09 – I decided to actually see how this computer generated response works. Enjoy the conversation (it is just a coincidence that the computer sales person below has the same name as me)!
energy scam dialogue with a computer
Related posts:
Two things,
First, when I read this post and scan over to the right hand side I see a google adsense ad for guess what, Magniwork?? and you are making money every time someone clicks that ad…
We understand very clearly about all of the free energy scams, for the past 15 years our family has been living off the grid and have not paid a single power bill in that time.
It did take some time and effort to set up though, nothing like e4e or magniwork promise.
But there is validity in the concept, it is in their execution of the principles that has a lot to be desired. ie. scam.
We have written articles for Mother Earth News (I can send you the link to the online version) so that you know we are for real. And we would love to chat about your blog, you are doing some great work here, but we would like to offer some suggestions to better inform your readers.
We would even be interested in posting an article or two if you like.
Looking forward to talking with you,
All the best,
Les and Jane
Les and Jane, thanks for the comment! I look forward to hearing more from you. Unfortunately I can’t prevent the google ads from displaying Magniwork. I’ve tried but they still get through. Feel free to click on them as it costs the scam artists money and gives me a few pennies!
The Magniwork magnetic generator they describe claims to generate power by the use of permanent magnets only — but like all perpetual motion machines, describes the impossible.
The booklet starts out well enough, describing the looming energy shortage and listing ways to reduce energy consumption. There are no obvious problems here.
It also contains typical conspiracy themes, “All truth goes through three phases. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self evident.” and “In this book you will learn how to construct another alternative source of energy, which has not reached the mainstream media yet. But with time this energy will be widely accepted and used. This is geared towards “suspension of disbelief”.
The lunacy doesn’t start until they lay out an elaborate text description of their “generator”. For those of you with some electrical background, consider the following nonsense statements:
* The magnetic generator at first must be charged up by driving the main shaft at 2100 RPM for 42 seconds.
* This motor, which is driven totally by permanent magnet power, in no way, can be compared with perpetual notion in that the principle is not the same. (They use the term “perpetual notion” for “perpetual motion”).
* This power source is not predicated on a continuous flow of energy but predicated on the consistency of the tansmutation process of the magnetic molecular structures within the Earth’s pressure flow.
Adding specific fake details is a common technique to make things appear legitimate. The text is full of small details that are often true, leading you to agree with the statements and distracting from the fact that is no more valid than a design “Home brew warp-coils for interstellar travel” or a Klingon cloaking device.
Any time you see a design like this, there are a few things you can expect. First, it will not spin by itself — which is probably why Magniwork states it needs to be “charged” by spinning it up to speed.
Secondly, any permanent magnet will produce a magnetic field that will induce current in the coils — so once it is rotating, some power is available from the coils. However, the power has to come from somewhere (e.g. wind turbine or some other mechanical means of rotating the shaft). “Earth’s pressure flow” is a meaningless concept and bogus source of energy. Even if you didn’t draw the power off the generator, frictional forces will slow it down and it will stop in a minute or less depending on the quality of the bearings.
This scam is closely related to Earth4Energy and likely created by the same scammers. Many of the illustrations have striking similarities — e.g. the same stock images.
So, it all looks like an elaborate scam network …
http://www.nlcpr.com/Deceptions8.php
Thank you for posting this blog. I am interested in self-sufficiency, and the Ambigrid looked too good to be true. A little more research into the product landed me here on your blog, and my suspicions of a scam were confirmed. Here’s another site that you don’t have listed that advertises some of the scams you’ve blown the whistle on: http://easyoffgrid.blogspot.com
Jason
Hmmm, if I must invest to get off the grid why not try building solar panels in my home. Not only it helps the environment, it also helps me financially and up keep is relatively low.
(Admin note: I’m allowing this comment to go through, but I’ll warn readers that this guy’s site is basically a front to buy Earth4Energy plans. It’s main purpose seems not to inform, but to get people to buy the plans.)
If someone has bought the plans and been ripped off, can they put them up on the web for free, we can then all have a good read and laugh. and the scammers dont get rich.
[...] of miscellaneous pretenders that we probably don’t need to discuss in depth, such as various free energy schemes or water as a fuel . If you think you might be dealing with a pretender, one caution flag is when [...]
Les and Jane,
Please provide links to Mother Earth News online. We are very interested in saving time (money)by not reinventing something. Anybody published by M.E.N.has a great personal reference for instant credibility in my book.
Thanks,
Jeff and Debbie
Jeff and Debbie,
Here is the link that Les and Jane sent me. They’ve done a great job getting off the grid and inspiring others to do the same!
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Homes/2004-02-01/Our-Handmade-Home.aspx
[...] of miscellaneous pretenders that we probably don’t need to discuss in depth, such as various free energy schemes or water as a fuel. If you think you might be dealing with a pretender, one caution flag is when [...]
We also have a long running section on solar and other energy scames on our solar forum at http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/forumdisplay.php?f=7
If you know of any scams – especially to do with solar, please post a message there and we will follow up on it.
Thanks, this looks like a really good resource for everyone. It’s a shame there are so many scammers out there, but with the interest around green technologies and those willing to take advantage of people who have good intentions but little knowledge of the technology, the environment is ripe for scammers. We all just have to be vigilant!
When some of us get serious abut this electricity saving subject it will be too late. Hikes are moving fast.I also saw very good ideas on Sakhumzantsi. I am though looking for a solution which I have tried to Google but can’t find. I want a wattmeter that can measure the consumption on each circuit breaker. This must be permanently connected to ensure safety. I saw one IP based solution but it only measures the overall house consumption and my focus is on a break breakdown of +/- 12 circuit breaker on a single distribution board.
Max, Check out the company called Computerized Electricity Systems on my post on Energy Monitoring Companies. The replace your breaker box with a new one that is able to monitor each circuit. Pretty cool stuff.
max, I use a SC20 from wattsup meters – it is wired in series to an individual circuit.
Chris you can filter out adsense ads by using the competitive ad filter inside your adsense account settings. All you do is list the urls you do not want showing ads on your website. Google will then not show ads from the sites you do not want to show.
Stephen,
I’m about 90% sure I’ve done that, but I think since Magniwork uses so many affiliate websites to sell the product through, the ads just pop up from one of the other addresses. I’ll looking into it further tonight.
Well, thanks for your site. You just saved me $79. Merry Christmas.
open4energy is maintaining a list of as many of the scam sites as possible. It is quite a moving target ….
http://open4energy.com/forum/home/scam/energy_saving_scams
Chris and I and others are all working as hard as we can to identify these, have them posted, and get the results into the search results. Not easy as the affiliates, and the scam providers, are building sites, including sites that come up for queries including “scam” – clever.
But we will prevail …
So I found this blog because I was looking up solar panels on ebay and I came across the ambigrid kit. I thought “this would be awesome! If it didn’t seem like a scam…can I actually build solar panels myself??” so I googled “ambigrid scam” and came up with this blog.
Just out of curiosity, if someone went ahead and bought this and tried to set it up when would it be apparent that it didn’t work? Which part of this kit contains the bullshit?
Thanks
I haven’t actually seen Ambigrid plans with my own eyes, but my guess is that the whole kit contains the b.s. There are many sites out there teaching people how to build solar panels for themselves FOR FREE!
İ saw a guaranteed organic bug killer for sale many years back – the package contained two wooden blocks and instructions. Place bug on block A and rap sharply with block B.
I love these plans everyone is trying to sell for making your own solar electric panels.
Let’s face it… a PV solar panel is a whole grid of semiconductor, silica wafers. I really don’t think most people have the ability to grow silica wafers themselves. If the plans are for connecting the individual cells into panels, where do they claim you can get the cells cheaper/free? It’s been tempting several times to shop for the cheapest package and buy it, just to see how they claim it works!
We currently have 17,000 watts of panels up and I have enough of an electrical engineering background to know it’s pretty unlikely someone can do it much cheaper. Not to mention, I believe my array is generating something like 450VDC… that’s nothing for an amateur to play with!
I have a friend who does solar installs and I guarantee, if you could build your own, he’d be doing it! He keeps up on quite a few of these… one of his favorite things to do in his spare time is harass the Nigerian bank scheme people
He’ll send them replies and then make excuses for not sending the right info and he said it’s amazing how solicitous (sp?) they get when they think you are interested!
open4energy has partnered with a real solar professional Solar Man Dan a Licensed Solar contractor with a NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certification, and a degree in electronic technology.
This is the first post by Dan on how to do a real DIY solar project. It is free content, from a trusted source who has 24 years in the trade. Home solar is an excellent option, and there are costs to be saved doing the project yourself, but with the involvement of an licensed electrician.
As Dan explained to me, you must have UL certified solar panels. The design of your project needs to be approved if it is to be connected to the grid in any way. But if you take some simple steps, by cost-effective panels from a reputable source, you can provide the labour and the implementation of a successful project at significantly reduced costs.
These DIY energy scams are doing a great deal of harm to legitimate initiatives to both save and produce energy.
Please join Chris and I in raising the awareness amongst the public of this issue.
Genuine free heat scheme
Get 60′ of 1″ or 3/4″ old iron pipe from scrapyard and a compressor, refrigeration unit of an old walk in freezer/ coldroom (check it’s domestic supply-1ph- if that’s what you have) together with all its wires and control box. dig a trench at least 2′6″ deep in your gardern (deeper if you live in a cold place- if you live in somewhere like Siberia- forget it!) and lay your pipe in it. Refill the trench (using wet earth -mud- initially so the piping makes a good contact) Connect up to the feezer unit. Call in a commercial refrigeration engineer and have him connect the unit and evacuate/ charge it and check out the mains installation.
Lead a large, insulated flexi pipe into your home from the refrigeration unit.
Switch on and luxuriate in the cheap heat heat, which should cost you something like 1/4 to 1/8th of usual charge, since you are not generating (much) heat but rather extracting and concentrating it (using some mains energy) to rob free heat from the planet.
I could sell plans, but can’t be bothered to write all the ridiculous hype that the con artists do (hint, as Chris points out -the more hype the geater likelyhood of a con- and the magnets4u fold strenuously avoid telling what the ’secret’! is- how it is supposed to work, whilst laying on the hype with a 10″ trowell.
And, thimk on- if you already have some alternative energy system installed, like a wind turbine, then you can power the (above) heat extractor from that- far more efficient than trying to generate heat from electricity directly.
This setup would suit someone living in far Nth Scotland, Ireland etc, where the weather was windy and cold.
Should you not require to heat the house, you could use the heatpump to heat water or a swimming pool instead.
So waddaya waiting for? Get into those dirty overalls, big boots, greasy cap- borrow the dirtiest, rustiest pick up you can find and get down to that junkyard. Never go dressed ‘posh’ to a scrap yard- the man will charge you double. Oh and by the way, tell him ‘Joe or Louie sent you.’ Scrap men always know at least 10 Joes or Louies. And don’t buy a used fridge compressor standing on its own- it’s probably been scrapped because it’s broken. Find a complete, junked, walk in coldroom and remove the unit from that- don’t worry it’ll work. Or ask a friendly commercial refrig engineer to get you a good used one for scrap price.
[...] Mapawatt also did their own review of Earth4Energy and considers them misleading. They go on to comment that a lot of the renewable energy products on ClickBank are somehow related to each other, perhaps the same info being repackaged. [...]