Cast Your Vote for Energy Efficient Refrigerators, Freezers
April 10, 2012 at 10:22 a.m.
While elections and refrigerators might not seem to have a lot in common, we offer you some food for thought on how you can save energy and save quite a bit of money as well. It just might be time to caucus at home to determine whether or not a new refrigerator should be in your future.
“If you’ve got a refrigerator that’s old enough to vote, it’s probably costing you more to keep it than to replace it or recycle it,” Seattle City Light Conservation Resources Director Glenn Atwood said.
Refrigerators and freezers built before 1993 can use three to four times as much electricity as today’s efficient appliances. That can add up to as much as $150 extra each year on your electricity bills, even at Seattle City Light’s low rates.
If you have a second refrigerator or freezer in the basement or garage, it could be responsible for more than 10 percent of your annual electricity costs. That’s a pork barrel project soaking up your hard-earned money right in your own home.
The good news is you have a choice.
Seattle City Light and many other Puget Sound area utilities offer rebates and incentives that can help you get rid of that old energy hog.
If you have a second refrigerator or freezer that you want to get rid of, City Light and its partner JACO Environmental will pick it up and haul it away to be recycled at no cost and give you a $30 rebate. The unit must be in working condition to qualify.
You can get more information on the recycling program or schedule a pickup online at www.seattle.gov/fridge or by calling JACO at 1-877-577-0510.
If you only have one refrigerator and are ready for an upgrade to a more energy efficient model, City Light has a $50 rebate available on the purchase of qualified ENERGY STAR® rated refrigerators when the replaced unit is recycled. Details are available online at www.seattle.gov/appliances. With the rebate and the money you’ll save on electricity, that new fridge will pay for itself in just a few years.
More Information
You can get more information on the recycling program or schedule a pickup online at http://www.seattl...">www.seattle.gov/f... or by calling JACO at 1-877-577-0510.
City Light has a $50 rebate available on the purchase of qualified ENERGY STAR® rated refrigerators when the replaced unit is recycled. Details are available online at http://www.seattl...">www.seattle.gov/a....
Keep in mind that the $50 refrigerator replacement rebate may not be combined with the $30 recycling rebate. You’ll need to decide which offer makes the most sense for you.
Residents throughout the region have taken advantage of these offers. More than 54,000 refrigerators and freezers have been recycled in the Puget Sound area through JACO. Removing them from the power grid adds up to annual energy savings of more than 48 million kilowatt-hours, which is enough to power 5,000 Seattle area homes for a year!
JACO recycles the appliances in an environmentally responsible manner, preventing greenhouse gasses from escaping into the atmosphere. When they finish, 95 percent of the material from a refrigerator or freezer is available for use in building new products.
“People are looking for a winning ticket,” Atwood said. “Reducing your energy consumption, saving money, upgrading to ENERGY STAR® appliances and recycling old ones is a sustainable energy solution for us all.”
This article appeared in the April 2012 issue of Northwest Prime Time, the Puget Sound region’s monthly publication celebrating life after 50.