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Rechargeable batteries are great for the environment. Using them to power your electronics helps conserve valuable metals used in making batteries while preventing the throwing away of alkaline batteries after a single use. Rechargeable NiMH batteries can be reused 1,000 times, effectively replacing 1,000 alkaline batteries and providing portable power at a fraction of the cost of buying 1,000 new batteries.

But most consumers are under the impression that rechargeable batteries don't last very long. After asking several people this question, I decided to look more closely at common rechargeable batteries with a question in mind: Are battery companies intentionally making rechargeable batteries with lower capacities in order to encourage the sale of more profitable throwaway alkaline batteries?

The search for the answer to this question took me right to the rechargeable Energizer "D" battery purchased off the shelf at Best Buy (a big name electronics retailer in the U.S.). This particular battery immediately caught my attention because the stated capacity of the battery is just 2500 mAh -- the same capacity as typical AA batteries which are physically far smaller than a "D" battery.

Why are Energizer "D" batteries so weak? To find out the answer, I decided to take one apart and see what was inside. As this picture reveals, inside the "D" battery is a much smaller battery! The Energizer "D" battery is actually just a cheap plastic shell surrounding a much smaller, low-capacity battery similar in size and capacity to an "AA" battery (2500 mAh).

This explains why the Energizer "D" rechargeable battery has such low power capacity to begin with. The company doesn't even try to make it a high-capacity "D" battery, it seems. They're filling part of the inside of the battery body with nothing more than cheap plastic and useless air. And how much does Energizer charge for this "D" battery? More than $12 each!

It's true: These inferior "D" batteries cost around $25 for a pack of two. These are known as "Energizer E2 Rechargeable Batteries, Size D," rated at 2500 mAh each. (mAh is a measure of how much power is contained in the battery. It's sort of like the fuel tank in your car. The bigger the number, the more power the battery delivers.)

By comparison, an Energizer AA battery rated at the exact same capacity -- 2500 mAh -- costs about THREE dollars!

So why is a "D" battery priced at 400% more than an AA battery with the exact same capacity? Because Energizer can get away with it, probably. Most consumers have no idea about the mAh numbers. They just look at the physical size of the battery and figure it has more capacity. (Mainstream consumers are remarkably gullible, and few understand any technical specs at all.)

By comparison, check out the Powerex "D" rechargeable batteries at BetterLifeGoods.com. These batteries have more than 300% more power than the Energizer batteries, and they only cost slightly more! ($15 dollars vs. about $12, for triple the power). They're also significantly heavier. And you know why they're heavier? Because they don't contain a bunch of cheap plastic and air gaps inside!

There's no question that Energizer intentionally puts out an inferior "D" rechargeable battery. If they wanted, they could make it much higher capacity, but they have apparently chosen not to. So why would a battery company put out an inferior rechargeable battery?

Think about it: The more consumers use rechargeable batteries, the less they repeatedly buy throway alkaline batteries. Energizer only makes money when people keep buying batteries over and over again. Selling a consumer a high-capacity "D" battery that can be used 1,000 times before needing to be replaced simply doesn't make good business sense to the Energizer company. It makes far more money selling inferior "D" rechargeable batteries that don't deliver much power, effectively forcing consumers who want long-lasting "D" batteries to purchase their throwaway alkaline D batteries. Repeat business is good for battery companies, even if it means creating more landfill through the repeated use of disposable batteries.

But is this all a conspiracy by Energizer? That's for you to decide. In my personal opinion, the Energizer company is deceiving consumers by packaging what is effectively an "AA" battery in a "D" size and shape, then marking up the price 400%, hoodwinking consumers into paying four times as much money for a battery that has extremely poor performance (by design). I believe that the Energizer company is engaged in deceptive marketing practices and that it is intentionally doing so in order to protect its disposable alkaline battery business. The fact that their "D" rechargeable battery is actually just a plastic holder for a much smaller AA-sized battery contained inside is, in my opinion, clear evidence that the company has no intention to make high-capacity "D" rechargeable batteries widely available to consumers. I think Energizer is dishonest in its marketing of these 2500mAh "D" batteries.

Of course, that's all just my opinion. You may have a different opinion. You might think that the little piece of plastic found inside their "D" battery is worth $12 all by itself. (It is a cool cylindrical shape, after all, and it even floats!) Or you might say that the package of the "D" battery is clearly marked "2500 mAh" and so Energizer isn't deceiving anyone. But to that, I would answer that it is the size and shape of the battery itself that is deceiving. A larger battery, by any honest measure, should generally contain more power than a smaller battery. It should not simply be a plastic shell containing a smaller battery inside. Would you buy a full-sized car battery made with a tiny pack of AA batteries inside? If you did, would you think that was an honest product?

In any case, Energizer sure is raking in the profits on this particular battery. The cost to manufacture these batteries is probably only slightly higher than the cost to manufacture a typical "AA" rechargeable battery, yet it sells at retail for approximately 400% more. That's a whole lot of profit going into Energizer's bank accounts. Slick, huh? But behind the label, the product speaks for itself: It's just a plastic shell and a pretty label wrapped around a much smaller, low-capacity battery found inside.

I urge consumers to read the labels on electronics just like they should read labels on food and nutritional supplements. The labels often reveal the true story of what's in the package, regardless of the implied claims or market positioning accomplished by the size, shape and artwork on the product itself. I doubt many people would pay $12 for an Energizer "D" battery if they knew there was actually just a cheap, average-capacity "AA" battery inside. What do you think?

For the record, competing high-capacity AA batteries now deliver 2700mAh.

Want to buy an honest "D" battery? Check out Powerex. These are the best rechargeable batteries I could find. Click here to learn more.  I don't like to see consumers getting ripped off by battery manufacturers, and the Powerex "D" battery is an honest, high-capacity battery that's made with real power cells, not plastic shells. It's a true high-capacity "D" battery that far outlasts the Energizer "D" battery. All the advertising in the world doesn't change the fact that after the Energizer "D" rechargeable battery is completely dead, the Powerex "D" battery keeps going, and going, and going. For nearly four times as long...

By the way, you can also buy a four pack of 2700mAh "AA" rechargeable Powerex batteries for just $14.95. Click here to see them yourself. That's FOUR batteries, each with a higher capacity than the Energizer "D" battery, for well under $4 each.

Sony and Sanyo batteries are also good brands, and I recommend them both. I do not recommend Energizer, however, for reasons that should be obvious after reading this. Paying $12 for an Energizer "D" rechargeable battery is sort of like paying $10 for a gallon of gas.

Be smarter with your money. Know the specs on what you're buying, and refuse to be suckered by corporate propaganda on consumer products.

Comment:

While Mike is correct about the "mAh is a measure of how much power is contained in the battery"; this is the 1 time use before recharging, not the lifetime of the battery! I just wanted to clarify that. I have had no problem with the few Energizers I have been using for years however Rayovac works well, but my favorite is Digital by Digital Concepts available at Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart .com. They have all sorts of neat helpful chargers.  They also make adapters to use any AA batteries as a C or D because they do have similar ratings. The Digital Batteries have outlasted all other brands!  AA's are cheaper so this is one way to save money. This package over here is $7.49!

Save money on Rechargeable Batteries:

Get a Good Battery Tester!

Always get the NImh batteries. They last longer and mix together better.

To get the most battery for the money , look at the mAh measure for the size you are looking for and get the largest.

Don't charge batteries until they are fully empty or read below the yellow line! Charging batteries that are not empty reduces their life.

When storing batteries make sure their ends aren't touching others. This can discharge the battery. We keep our in a drawer in a plastic container that doesn't allow them to shift. A box would also work fine.

Try not to mix different mAh rated batteries together. This can cause leakage and battery death.

But higher drain batteries for digital cameras, mp3 players, and other items that are a necessity!

Look for coupons, specials and sales! When ever I see rechargeable clearanced I snatch them all up, if it's a good deal.

With our 1 hour charger and adapters, we were never without batteries during a 5 day ice storm outage! We plugged the 1 hour charger into the car adapter!