- Latest news on Home Star
Here’s a recent update on the legislation that includes the Home Star Program. Its Senate passage after the August break is far from certain.
READ MORE > - Did Cash for Appliances Work?
The Cash for Appliances program has been adopted in all 50 states, but the results vary widely from state-to-state. What’s been going on?
READ MORE > - Cash for Caulkers: The Definitive Guide
The Home Star Program is nearing approval. Here is everything homeowners need to know about the requirements to take full advantage of Home Star.
READ MORE > - Cash for Caulkers update
Here’s an update on Home Star, including the Senate legislation and press release; it has bi-partisan support and there are hopes for passage by July 4th.
READ MORE >
Appliances get their own recycled clunkers programs
Posted on 26. Aug, 2009 by GMS Editor in Featured, Newsflash, ShowOnLatestPanel
By Kathleen Gray, USA TODAY
August 26, 2009
Cash for clunkers ended this week — for cars.
But old energy-hogging refrigerators and freezers qualify for recycling and cash from more than 60 utilities across the nation. And the federal government is making money available to states so consumers could get rebates of $50 to $200 for new, more energy-efficient appliances later this year in a so-called “cash for appliances” program.
Combined, the appliance initiatives have a goal similar to the cash-for-clunker program for autos: They get less-efficient appliances off the nation’s energy grid in favor of newer efficient ones.
Unlike cash for clunkers, consumers taking advantage of the rebate program wouldn’t need to trade in their old refrigerators to get the benefit of buying a new one with an energy-star seal designating it as efficient.
Old refrigerators and freezers are some of the biggest energy users in homes, and getting old ones out for energy-efficient models will save customers anywhere from $50 to $150 a year on electricity bills, says Steven Rosenstock, manager for energy solutions at the Edison Electric Institute, which represents 70% of the investor-owned utilities in the United States.
Jaco Environmental is a Seattle-based company that has been picking up and recycling refrigerators for 20 years, first for retailers and now for utilities. It runs recycling programs for 61 utilities in 26 states.
Money from the stimulus bill is a boon for business, says Michael Dunham, director of energy and environmental programs for Jaco.
Jaco recycles 95% of the refrigerator, including toxic chlorofluorocarbons, which are destroyed at a waste-to-energy incinerator. The steel is used in rebar to reinforce roadways, and the plastic goes into everything from laptop computers and cellphones.
“These refrigerators are environmental time bombs,” Dunham says. “But this is all recycled and made into new products.”
