Hawaii Energy puts a bounty on ‘energy hogs’

HONOLULU—Hawaii Energy, the ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program wants residents to achieve energy savings by turning in old refrigerators or freezers, and to use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

Starting Wednesday, October 19, Hawaii Energy will pick up and recycle old working refrigerators or freezers for free and pay cash for eliminating those old units. Oahu households will receive $25, and Maui and Hawaii Island households will get $65. Those old “energy hogs” cost households $380 a year in energy costs on Oahu, $420 on Maui and $490 on Hawaii Island, according to Hawaii Energy. Twenty-year-old refrigerators can use two to three times more electricity than new Energy Star models.

The offer is planned to make its way to Molokai and Lanai soon.

The goal of the Bounty Program is to eliminate old, inefficient refrigerators or freezers.

“Many homes have older refrigerators in their garage using up a lot of electricity,” said Hawaii Energy program manager Ray Starling in a statement. “It takes a lot of effort to properly dispose of these appliances, which are costing hundreds of dollars to operate every year. Our Bounty Program makes it easy, and incentivizes electric utility customers to surrender old, but operational refrigerators and freezers to save money, and contribute to reducing Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil.”

To participate in the Bounty Program, on Oahu call (808) 537-5577, and on Maui and Hawaii Island call toll free at 1-877-231-8222. The Bounty Program is offered through June 22, 2012, or as long as funding lasts. Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis to electric utility account holders, with a limit of one refrigerator and one freezer per household. The appliances must be full size (at least 14 cubic feet) and currently in use to qualify.

For more information, visit Hawaii Energy’s website.