# Free electrity..Does this look like a scam to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626 "2001-07-16T00:52:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/1 "2001-07-16T00:52:15Z")
[http://www.freelectricity.com/](http://www.freelectricity.com/) I know it looks to good to be true. Just how do they make their money? They can install 1.6 million units for free? Debunk this for me please. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/2 "2001-07-16T01:08:18Z")
They ask you to send $14.95 … they _say_ they send you a video tape with interesting stuff on it. What part don’t you understand? They are selling you a video tape… if you are lucky. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/3 "2001-07-16T01:14:26Z")
According to their FAQ, their unit will generate about 30MW/H/year and they will give you an allotment of 26MW/H to use for yourself. They will presumably profit by selling the surplus to the power grid. ---
**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/4 "2001-07-16T01:22:32Z")
From the FAQ’s > [@](#): > > ITEC plans to begin installation of the “Hummingbird/Sundance” generator once 1.6 million households across America have been registered. Also… > [@](#): > > The only cost to you will be a $5.00 S/H fee when registering for the generator. The $9.95 to purchase the “Free Energy” video is optional. And… > [@](#): > > As of May 2001 UCSA is reporting that approximately 200,000 households have been registered. So, according to them they’ve already made one million dollars in registration fees and aren’t obligated to do anything until 1.6 million households have registered (if they ever reach that point). Plus, they strongly encourage people to buy their $10.00 video. So, you send them $15.00 and they send you a video. Convince enough people to do this, and you start to make some real money. When you read the FAQ’s you’ll see that after they get the 8 million in registration fees, they can just say that the fossil fuel entries are opposing this so much that they won’t be able to make any money, and the company can walk away without having installed one generator. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/5 "2001-07-16T01:36:14Z")
My first question was ‘answered’ in their FAQ: > [@](#): > > **What is the energy source that powers the generator?** > > The energy source that powers the generator is a set of very unique and very strong permanent magnets. If you have ever held two magnets close together you have a sense of the repulsive and attractive forces that exists between them. With permanent magnets these forces are “permanent,” meaning that the potential energy present will always be available. What is unique about this energy is that it is free, unlimited and nonpolluting! The exciting part is that we have figured out how to successfully exploit this amazing energy phenomenon in a way that we believe will soon provide free electricity to all those who register for our program. I believe the scientific reply to this hooey would be “There is no free lunch”. Shiva (Free and _very_ unique) ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/6 "2001-07-16T01:39:11Z")
I just finished reading a book ([_Voodoo Science : The Road from Foolishness to Fraud_ by Robert L. Park](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195135156/qid=995246294/sr=2-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_1/102-0515291-3361714)) that took a ten-page look at Dennis Lee and his perpetual motion machine\*. The apparatus he’s selling and you’re referring to is supposedly something called a “Fisher engine.” The Fisher engine requires liquid carbon dioxide (compressed) to run. Ostensibly, the CO[sub]2[/sub] is liquid in order to cool the engine. In reality, the Fisher simply runs on energy stored in the compressed gas. If it’s not hooked up to a very high load, it can run an impressively long time on the stored energy. So the Fisher engine looks impressive for a short demonstration, but it’s still a little lacking in the free-energy department. Perhaps that’s why “ITEC plans to begin installation of the ‘Hummingbird/Sundance’ generator once 1.6 million households across America have been registered.” and not a moment sooner. How long, do you think, it’ll take them to register 1.6 million households? \*Great name for a punk band! ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/7 "2001-07-16T01:43:05Z")
Hey! My 500th post! And I used it to explain a perpetual motion machine! How appropriate; I’m tickled. Someone slap me onna back for that. ---
**Author:** ![Synergist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Synergist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Synergist)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/8 "2001-07-16T01:47:26Z")
Also, according to their FAQ, they have invented a perpetual motion machine, although they state that it is not a perpetual motion machine. They do state that it runs on an perpetually renewable energy source (gravity), but will, nevertheless, run out of energy in about 100 years (translation: after you are dead). That machine will generate the electricity that they will then give you for free. Why? They don’t say. The FAQ doesn’t even attempt a pseudoscientific explanation for installing the “generators” on individual homes rather than at a generating station. I was disappointed. I expected something about magnetic interference or the strain on the gravitational field if too many “generators” were operated close together. Awww, somebody beat me to it. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electrity-does-this-look-like-a-scam-to-you/72626/9 "2001-07-16T05:06:34Z")
Dennis Lee gets his money from suckers who send it to him. He has been in legal trouble before and, at this rate, may soon be again. Some pages debunking him and his “free” electricity: [http://www.phact.org/e/dennis.html](http://www.phact.org/e/dennis.html) [http://www.skepticnews.com/articles/01/03/10/043220.shtml](http://www.skepticnews.com/articles/01/03/10/043220.shtml) Some pages offering “free” electricity and similar goodies. [http://www.electricity4free.com/](http://www.electricity4free.com/) [http://www.ucsofa.com/Free%20Electricity.htm](http://www.ucsofa.com/Free%20Electricity.htm) [http://teslaelectric.com/](http://teslaelectric.com/)