AmerenUE has launched a new refrigerator/freezer recycling program that will provide a $35 incentive to customers who recycle their old, working refrigerators or freezers. Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. (ARCA), UE’s program partner, will even pick up old units free of charge and properly recycle them.
However, the $35 incentive is only the start of the financial benefits customers can realize.
“If a spare refrigerator used in a basement or garage is removed and not replaced, energy savings can amount to 1,200 kilowatt-hours a year—a $100 reduction in annual electricity charges,” says Cara Dolly, UE managing supervisor of the company’s Residential Energy Efficiency team.
ARCA will properly dispose of, or recycle, more than 95 percent of each appliance. The recycled appliances produce new raw materials of steel, aluminum, copper, glass and plastic. Recycling the appliances also prevents the release of mercury, used oil and other substances into the environment.
Each participant must be a UE residential electric customer who owns the refrigerator or freezer. The refrigerator or freezer must have been manufactured prior to 2002 and range from 10 to 27 cubic-feet in size. The appliance must also be in working order and be plugged in the night prior to pickup. It will be picked up at no charge from the address listed on the customer’s billing account. The $35 incentive will then be mailed four to six weeks after the appliance has been picked up. The program will run until Sept. 30, 2011. For more details, go to www.Uefficiency.com/recycle.
AmerenUE, founded in 1902, provides electric and gas service to approximately 1.2 million customers across central and eastern Missouri, including the greater St. Louis area. UE serves 57 Missouri counties and 500 towns. The company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. For more information, visit www.amerenue.com.
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