What is the The
Great Refrigerator Roundup Program? Horizon Utilities, with support from the
Ontario Power Authority, is making it simple for Ontarians to do
their part to conserve energy and ease the strain on the
electricity system by designing a program that offers to pick up
older refrigerators and freezers as well as window air
conditioners in working condition from residents of Ontario, and
fully decommission them in an environmentally friendly manner.
The Great Refrigerator Roundup is a program
designed to remove older, inefficient fridges and freezers from
the electricity system. Generally, these older secondary fridges
and freezers, located in basements or garages, are plugged in but
rarely used. These older units typically use two to three times
more electricity than new appliances.
When will it be
available in my area? Depending on logistical constraints, it may
be that the program will only be available in some areas for
specific time periods during the year. Further details will be
made available as the program gets underway. You can check the
Ontario Power Authority's website at www.everykilowattcounts.com or
call 1-877-797-9473 for more information.
Why would I want
to participate in this program? There are many great reasons to participate
in this program. By having your old inefficient refrigerator or
freezer removed from your home, you will be saving money by
eliminating a major home electricity user. You will be helping
the environment by reducing the impact of electricity
generation and by having the fridge, freezer or window air
conditioner decommissioned in an environmentally responsible
way. There are no hassles, a professional contractor will
remove the fridge/freezer or window air conditioner from your
home and take it away for you for proper decommissioning.
I have an older
fridge, freezer or window air conditioner and I want to get rid
of it immediately, what do I do? I would like to suggest to you that you
simply unplug the unit so that you are not consuming any
additional electricity, book your appliance pick up time by
calling 1-877-797-9473 and then wait for the pick up to occur.
By doing this, you will ensure that your appliance is taken
away and decommissioned in the most environmentally friendly
way possible.
How do I know if
my appliance will qualify for the program? Your refrigerator or freezer must be 10
years or older, it must be located in a single dwelling home, a
townhouse or a duplex, triplex or four-plex building. It must
be in working condition at the time of pickup, and must be
between 10 and 27 cubic feet.
You may also include for pickup at the same appointment and location, any old window air conditioners plus additional refrigerators and freezers ( up to 10 in total ) that are between 10 and 27 cubic feet, 10 years or older and in working condition.
While customers will be required to
provide this information at the time of scheduling a an
appointment, the pick up service providers will be required to
verify that the eligibility requirements have been met.
You can book on-line by visiting the Ontario
Power Authority's website at (www.everykilowattcounts.com). It will
provide you with specific program launch dates in your area of
the province and will allow you to sign up for a pick up time
on line.
You may also book an appointment by calling
the Ontario Power Authority's Customer Contact Centre at 1-877-797-9473
Why are
multi-residential buildings not included in the program? For this program, only refrigerators,
freezers or window air conditioners located in single dwelling
homes, townhouses, or smaller multi--plexes are eligible.
Ownership and removal issues in larger buildings prevent us
from picking them up at this time.
What's so bad
about older fridges, freezers or window air conditioners? These technologies have changed tremendously
over the past 20 years. A typical fridge built in 1986 uses
1,500 kWh, costing $180 per year while a new ENERGY STAR®
rated fridge will use approximately one third less energy.
Does it make
sense to replace my older fridge, freezer or window air
conditioner with a new one?
It may, because newer fridges (Freezers or window air
conditioners) cost so much less to operate than an older unit.
For example, replacing a 20-year-old 18 cubic feet refrigerator
with a new Energy Star® qualified refrigerator will result
in an annual energy cost savings of about $130. At this rate,
the savings will pay for the cost of the new refrigerator in 5
to 7 years.
What incentive
is being provided to remove the older fridge, freezer and air
conditioner? We are pleased to be offering this program
to residents since it provides free pick up by staff who will
remove it from your home, environmentally safe disposal of the
CFCs and electricity savings for you of about $150 by removing
that old refrigerator. To hire someone to take it out of your
home and dispose of it can cost up to $90 and if you were to
remove this fridge yourself and place it on the curb, and there
is frequently a charge of about $30 from the municipality.
What is being
done with the appliances that are taken away? The appliances are being decommissioned and
dismantled so that the components can be recycled in an
environmentally responsible way. Only a bare minimum of
material will reach landfill sites. Particular attention is
being paid to the chemicals used in fridges that are
significant atmospheric pollutants and responsible for ozone
depletion. These are being contained and destroyed.
Why is this
initiative happening? Ontario's electricity use is growing.
Population growth and increases in use of electrical devices
will cause increasing demand. This demand can be met by
building more generating stations, but that is expensive and
has environmental implications. An alternative way to allow for
growth is to help Ontarians use electricity as efficiently as
possible; using only the electricity they need and, where
possible, avoiding using it at times when the peak demand for
electricity is highest. This saves Ontarians money and reduces
impact on the environment.
What is the
Ontario Power Authority? This is an organization set up by the
Ontario provincial government to Plan the Ontario Power System,
Develop Generation, Develop the Electricity Sector and
encourage electricity conservation.
