Energy Efficiency
Fridge & Freezer Farewell Program Pays You Cash
Getting rid of old working refrigerators or freezers taking up space in your garage or shed can be cumbersome and even costly. CCEC has a solution through the new Fridge & Freezer Farewell program.
Co-op members can cash in, $50 for each unit (one of each per year), without lifting a finger. Just as important, CCEC’s partnership with the Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA) ensures that everything in the units that can be recycled is recycled – from the coolant to the insulation – and that these energy-hogging appliances are taken out service.
For Jim and Betty Stanton of Pine Knoll Shores, the program couldn’t have kicked off at a better time. Their 21-year-old refrigerator was a fixture in their garage. However, after they lost power during Hurricane Irene, they went to retrieve the few drinks and frozen foods they had stored in the unit.
“Every time I would walk by the beast, it would be running, and I could visualize my electric meter spinning,” Mr. Stanton said.
They tried to donate it, but because of the age of the refrigerator no one wanted it, and to have it hauled away and discarded would cost them money. heir children are grown and no longer live at home, and the couple does not entertain as much as they once did, so they have little or no need for the second refrigerator.
“You need to take a critical look at what you refrigerate,” Mr. Stanton said. “It becomes a luxury you really don’t need.”
His wife agreed.
“It was convenient,” she said. “It was a big, expensive convenience. It was running constantly, and there was really no need to have it out there for a little bit of food and bottled water.”
Not only did the Stantons find a way to get rid of their second refrigerator, they are assured the unit will be recycled.ARCA recycles 98 percent of the materials, including the scrap metal, refrigerants, foam insulation, plastics and capacitor PCBs.
“There are a lot of hazards that need to be properly recycled,” Mr. Stanton said. “We aren’t recycling fanatics, we just do what makes sense, and this makes sense.”
To pre-qualify for the program, go to www.GoRecycleToday.com or call 1-877-341-2310.
Taking Control
Rising energy costs...
Increasing demand...
Diminishing resources...
Environmental mandates...
There are plenty of good reasons to take control of your energy lifestyle.
Does that mean you have to sacrifice comfort and convenience? Not at all. In fact an energy efficient home is more comfortable, more affordable and can even be healthier. Just think of it as doing more with less.
Heating and cooling consume the greatest portion of residential energy dollars. That’s why home heating and cooling offer the best potential for energy savings. Water heating is usually the second largest single energy user.
And finally, appliances and lighting take up most of the rest, including phantom power sources that are using electricity even when we are not using them, such as cell phone or power tool chargers.
There are ways you can stay comfortable, while saving energy and money. This section should provide with answers to your questions.
Check out the links on the left to learn more about how to take control of your energy use.