issue: August 2009 APPLIANCE Magazine Web Exclusive: Energy Star Helps OEMs Convince Consumers	Share  Printable format  Email this Article  Search
By Lani MacRae, Energy Star Communications Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy The Energy Star Make a Cool Change Campaign gives appliance OEMs tools to promote their Energy Star-qualified models and the recycling of old units.

And now for a few sobering statistics:

• A refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1993 costs more than double to operate than a new Energy Star qualified model. Fridges and freezers from the 1970s cost over five times more.
• Together, U.S. households have 44.5 million fridges over 10 years old, eating up almost $3.9 billion a year in energy costs.
• On average, replacing a standard-size pre-1993 fridge or freezer with an Energy Star-qualified unit can save $64 per year on energy bills. Replacing a unit from the 1970s can save over $200 a year.

In a nutshell, old fridges and freezers use a massive amount of energy, and Energy Star has designed the Make a Cool Change Campaign to get these appliances off the grid. Led by the U.S. Department of Energy, the campaign gives manufacturers tools to promote their new Energy Star-qualified models and the recycling of old units. They include Energy Star-fun facts, case studies, a sample newsletter article, and campaign images for integration in manufacturer marketing materials.

Partners can direct customers to www.energystar.gov/recycle, where they will find a variety of tools to aid decision-making. Energy Star's refrigerator calculator shows consumers how much energy and money their old appliances are costing them and how much they can save on operating costs with a new unit.

The rebate locator provides the latest information on rebates and tax incentives by zip code. Finally, “Find a Fridge or Freezer Recycling Program” provides information about recycling and a link to the Steel Recycling Institute’s steel recycling facility locator.