HONOLULU, October 19, 2011— Hawaii Energy, the ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program, wants to help residents achieve energy savings in their homes by incentivizing them to turn in old refrigerators or freezers, and to use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).
Starting today, Hawaii Energy will pick up and recycle old working refrigerators or freezers for free and pay cash for eliminating those old units. Oahu households will receive $25, and Maui and Hawaii Island households will get $65. Those old “energy hogs” cost households $380 a year in energy costs on Oahu, $420 on Maui and $490* on Hawaii Island. This offer is coming soon to Molokai and Lanai.
The goal of the Bounty Program is to eliminate old, inefficient refrigerators or freezers. Twenty-year-old refrigerators can use two to three times more electricity than new ENERGY STAR® models.
“Many homes have older refrigerators in their garage using up a lot of electricity. It takes a lot of effort to properly dispose of these appliances, which are costing hundreds of dollars to operate every year,” said Ray Starling, Hawaii Energy Program Manager. “Our Bounty Program makes it easy, and incentivizes electric utility customers to surrender old, but operational refrigerators and freezers to save money, and contribute to reducing Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil. All that people need to do is call us, and we take care of the rest.”
To participate in the Bounty Program, on Oahu call 537-5577, and on Maui and Hawaii Island call toll free 1-877-231-8222. The Bounty Program is offered through June 22, 2012, or as long as funding lasts. Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis to electric utility account holders, with a limit of one refrigerator and one freezer per household. The appliances must be full size (at least 14 cubic feet) and currently in use to qualify. Some restrictions may apply, call for more information.
Additional Hawaii Energy Refrigerator Offers
Hawaii Energy has two other refrigerator offers. Residents can receive a $50 rebate when they purchase a new ENERGY STAR® refrigerator (with a minimum size of 16 cubic feet and price of $600 or less). Or, if they purchase a new ENERGY STAR refrigerator and recycle the old working refrigerator, residents can get a $125 rebate with Hawaii Energy’s “Trade-up for Cool Cash” offer.
$1 Instant CFL Rebate Program
Hawaii Energy offers a $1 instant rebate for each compact fluorescent light (CFL) residents purchase at participating retailers. By replacing just ten old-fashioned incandescent bulbs with CFLs, households can save $100 to $140* a year on their electric bill. CFLs use 75 percent less energy to produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs. Switching to CFLs is a quick and easy way to start saving energy and money immediately. Instant rebates for money-saving CFLs are available at City Mill, Costco, Don Quijote, Home Depot, Longs Drugs/CVS, Lowe’s, Safeway, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart.
For more information on these and other Hawaii Energy offers, go to www.HawaiiEnergy.com.
About Hawaii Energy
Hawaii Energy is a ratepayer-funded conservation and efficiency program administered by SAIC under contract with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, serving the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui and Oahu. Hawaii Energy offers cash rebates and other incentives to residents and businesses to help offset the cost of installing energy efficient equipment. In addition to rebates, the program conducts education and training for residents, businesses and trade allies to encourage the adoption of energy conservation behaviors and efficiency measures. The program plays an important role in helping to achieve Hawaii’s goal of reducing total electric energy usage by 30 percent or 4.3 billion kWh by 2030. For more information, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com