ENERGY STAR® Consumers Encouraged to Recycle Old Appliances

SPRINGFIELD - Consumers who received rebates on ENERGY STAR qualified appliances through the Illinois ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program are encouraged to take advantage of additional rebates available for recycling their old, inefficient appliances. Consumers have until Friday, June 4 to apply for the additional $75 recycling rebate.

"One of our main goals with the Appliance Rebate Program was to help Illinois residents become more energy efficient," said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley. "Consumers have achieved significant energy savings just by purchasing more efficient appliances. By recycling their old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers, they can further reduce their energy consumption, save money and keep these products out of the solid waste stream."

The state has made $2 million in rebates available for consumers who purchased an ENERGY STAR refrigerator or freezer during the appliance rebate sale last month and are now having their outdated appliance removed from their home or recycled.  This funding is first-come, first-served, so consumers are encouraged to mail in their rebate forms today.  All documentation must be postmarked by Friday, June 4.  Rebate forms are available at www.IllinoisEnergy.org/Appliances.

"The mail-in rebate is the capstone to Illinois' successful ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program.  All consumers who purchased a rebated refrigerator or freezer are now asked to take that final step and remove their old unit from their home and will receive an additional rebate for doing so," said Wendy Jaehn, Executive Director, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, who managed the rebate program on behalf of the state.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, old freezers and refrigerators can cost more than $100 - 200 each year just in electricity bills. Consumers can check out the U.S. EPA's Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator to find out just how much their old refrigerator or freezer is costing them to run.

Full program rules for the mail-in rebate are available at www.IllinoisEnergy.org/Appliances.

The Illinois ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate program has had a large impact on both Illinois' economy and the environment. The 74,400 rebates issued during the program so far directly resulted in more than $80 million in sales at 1,500 stores across the state. Furthermore, the program had a direct impact on Illinois' overall energy use. Using U.S. Department of Energy's savings calculator, the Illinois ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program resulted in the following savings, over the lifetime of the rebated products: 76 million kWh, 13.8 million therms, 188 million lbs CO2, and 2 billion gallons of water.