An email I received from the Detroit Edison (DTE) Energy Company today. The text reads:
How it works:
Installation*: DTE will install the device on your electric meter in less than 30 minutes. No need to schedule an appointment or be at home. Your home is protected as soon as the device is installed by our technicians.
Protection and Warranties: The warranty coverage provides $5,000 per event for appliances and $1,000 per event for electronics to repair or replace your household items in the event the device fails to protect against damaging surges.
Stay Connected: Your surge device comes with a FREE 20-foot power cable. In the event of a power outage, you can connect your generator to the surge device with the power cable to power your home up to the generator’s capacity. Easy access for your generator – you won’t have to run extension cords from your generator into your home.
Learn more | Enroll now
*There’s a one-time installation fee for a surge protection plus device of $49.99, which is a limited time offer and will expire on December 31, 2024. After the expiration date, the installation fee will return to its normal price of $99.99. To access the Surge Protection Plus program’s Terms and Conditions, visit dteenergy.com/sppterms.
and of course that URL is hyperlinked with a big long tracking string on the end of it so I won’t be sharing it
There are many causes of power surges. While one potential cause is poorly maintained equipment, that is far from the only cause. Things like lightning strikes, tree or storm damage, load fluctuations, or equipment faults can cause them. They happen quickly enough that the protective systems can’t always prevent damage to equipment downstream, but those systems are designed to protect the distribution equipment, not the loads themselves. Surge protectors are designed to protect your loads from surges and are important devices to protect sensitive equipment. OP is supposedly an electrical engineer, but this is either outside of their wheelhouse or they are just trying to jump on the enshittification bandwagon.