Is the old refrigerator in the garage just not keeping your favorite drinks cold enough? How about the 20-year-old freezer in the basement? Is it ready to call it quits?
Clark Public Utilities offers customers two incentives to help solve these energy-draining problems:
First, the utility will give residential customers a $30 rebate on the old appliance, which is then applied as a credit to their next electric power bill. A crew will drop by your house, pick up the fridge or freezer and make sure that it is properly recycled.
It’s as simple as calling 360-992-3000 and asking for a pickup, said DuWayne Dunham, an energy adviser at the utility.
To qualify, the old appliance must be at least 10 cubic feet in size and operational. The utility cannot accept broken refrigerators or freezers. And there’s a limit of two rebates per account.
The second incentive from the utility is on the purchasing side. If you are in the market for a replacement appliance, a $25 point-of-sale rebate is available on a new purchase through select retailers. The new appliance must fall under the EnergyStar efficiency rating.
To find out more, visit http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com and click “Find out about rebates and other incentives” under the “What would you like to do?” menu.
Retailers offering point-of-sale rebates include Sears in Vancouver and Camas, One Stop Home Furnishings in Camas and Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy and DeWils Interiors and Appliance Clinic in Vancouver.
Why make the upgrade?
Some appliances continue to run long after they should have been unplugged. Refrigerators and freezers from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, while still operating, can use three times the energy as current models.
So how much could you save in energy costs by upgrading to a new appliance?
A calculator at http://www.energystar.gov shows the annual operating cost of a 19- to 21.4-cubic-foot refrigerator with a top freezer would drop from an average of $103 a year to $32. That’s a savings of $71 a year. The calculations reflect Clark Public Utilities’ residential rate for electricity of 7.98 cents per kilowatt hour.
Dunham recommends using http://energystar.gov as a resource when shopping for new models.
If you buy a new appliance, experts recommend these maintenance steps:
• Keep refrigerator coils either at the back or underneath the appliance as dust-free as possible.
• Regularly inspect the rubber gaskets or seals on refrigerators and freezers, to make sure they are not damaged and leaking.
Program track record
Last year, the utility recycled 2,169 refrigerators and 153 freezers, which saved a total of 2.26 million kilowatt-hours, enough to power more than 125 homes per year. Freezer recycling was added to the program in 2009. CFC Recycling in Vancouver provides the recycling services.
Program financing comes from two sources, Dunham said. “Generally, our energy efficiency programs receive about half their funding through Bonneville Power Administration reimbursements and the other half comes from our energy efficiency budget.”
Old refrigerators and freezers offer recycling challenges. The refrigerant used in old appliances is classified as a greenhouse gas and should be kept out of the environment. Without proper decommissioning, the refrigerant often escapes, creating problems with the Earth’s atmosphere.
Through the recycling program these fluids and gases are captured and disposed of correctly. The metal and other materials are shredded and recycled.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities energy counselors, who provide conservation and energy use information to utility customers. Send questions to energyadviser@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, in care of Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA. 98668. Past topics are available at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
