June 8, 2001
ROSEMEAD, Calif., June 9, 2001-Southern California Edison's refrigerator recycling program has reached a milestone-recycling the 300,000th old energy-inefficient refrigerator.
"We are proud of our customers for their response to the benefits of exchanging old inefficient refrigerators for new high-efficiency models," said Pam Bass, SCE's senior vice president of customer service. "By participating in our recycling and rebate programs, customers have saved as much as $100 a year on refrigeration-related energy costs and, at the same time, have made a significant contribution to California's need for energy conservation."
SCE's eight-year refrigerator recycling program provides customers with free pick-up service, their choice of $35 or a 5-pack of compact florescent light bulbs, and the knowledge that their old refrigerator will be recycled in the most environmentally sensitive manner possible.
Customers can call a toll-free recycling number, (800) 234-9722, or visit SCE's customer Web site, www.sce.com, to schedule the pick-up of their refrigerator or freezer. To qualify for the program, participants must be SCE customers and appliances must be between 10 and 27 cubic feet in size and in working condition.
In addition, SCE is offering a $100 rebate when residential customers purchase a qualifying energy-efficient refrigerator. Details regarding how to reserve a rebate on qualifying models are available on our Web site, www.sce.com, or by calling (800) 844-4509.
"Many of our customers are receiving higher bills resulting from recent rate increases by the California Public Utilities Commission and are considering how they can cut back on energy use," said Bass. "There are few steps a customer can take that will have a greater impact on energy usage and costs than replacing an old refrigerator with a new energy-efficient model."
2001 refrigeration technology needs only half the energy required by units just ten years old. In addition, the power used by an older second refrigerator kept in a garage or on a porch is even higher due to the lack of insulation and air conditioning.
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An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 11 million via 4.3 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California.
