Gas prices have exploded during the busiest travel season and we are all trying to find ways to cope. Sadly, when times get desperate for consumers and we are most vulnerable, the vultures often start circling.

COMBAT has seen a predictable increase in the number and frequency of questionable and fraudulent energy savings claims. Seeing opportunity to make a fast buck at the expense of worried consumers, disreputable companies are marketing products that claim to save energy with automotive gadgets and additives as well as products for the home that also claim to save on energy usage and costs.

By law, advertisers must have scientific substantiation for their claims and may be subject to law enforcement action if they make deceptive promises. But just because there is a law doesn’t stop the crooks. For you as a consumer, the best defense is caution. Be skeptical of dramatic fuel-savings claims for automotive or other products. Be especially wary of:

. Fuel-saving automotive devices and additives. Numerous Web sites make implausible claims for various after-market automotive devices (fuel-line magnets, air bleed devices and other retrofit gadgets) and additives that supposedly increase gas mileage (and sometimes reduce emissions) for automobiles. Beware of claims such as “saves thousands of dollars on gas” or “increased mileage up to 300 percent.” Many of these claims are either absolutely false or grossly exaggerated. The Environmental Protection Agency has evaluated or tested more than 100 devices and additives that claim to save gasoline and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage.

. Instantaneous water heaters and home water purification (or softening) systems. Some distributors are making exaggerated claims about the performance and the energy savings associated with instantaneous or “tankless” water heaters and home water purification or softening systems. Some say their product can “save 50 percent on hot water costs.” Similar claims for water purification systems have been shown to be false in the past.

. Transient voltage surge suppressors. Although these products can protect equipment from power surges, in the past the FTC and several states have challenged claims that these products provide significant savings for consumers’ energy bills.

. One company is claiming that their “liquid siding” provides insulation equivalent to 7 inches of fiberglass batting and R-20, and reduces utility bills up to 40 percent. Another is making false and unsubstantiated claims about an automotive “fuel-line magnet,” saying, “A certified EPA laboratory reports an amazing 27 percent in increased mileage and 42 percent reduction in harmful pollutants.” Such claims are false.

The only way you can truly save cash, or at least hold the line, during times when energy prices rise is to control usage. Don’t leave automobiles or gasoline powered equipment like mowers running. Shut them down when not in active use. Plan your trips, even for local travel. Make certain you know what you must shop for, make a list, plan the shortest route to and from stores, and do your shopping all in one “loop” so you don’t have to go back and forth several times. Some families are actually planning shopping trips together and car pooling. Use public transportation whenever possible.

The Federal Trade Commission has excellent brochures on topics such as fuel-saving automotive devices (“Gas-Saving Products: Facts or Fuelishness?”), gas-saving tips (“How To Be Penny Wise, Not Pump Fuelish”) and guidance for heating and cooling homes (“Weathering the High Cost of Heating Your Home” and “Cooling Your Home: Don’t Sweat It”) among other publications. The FTC also has a dedicated energy and environment Web page that links to these materials, as well as other energy efficiency information for consumers and businesses. Consumer Forum suggests you visit www.ftc.gov for brochures and updated information and publications online.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership $25, business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.