Rid-A-Fridge Program $aves, Raises Food Bank Funds

(From left) Richard Yust, executive director; Steph Kaplan, community relations manager; Erick Acidera, warehouse coordinator; Lynn Curtis, director agency Relations – Maui Food Bank; Walter Enomoto, business program specialist (Maui County), Hawai‘i Energy. Photo courtesy: Hawai‘i Energy.

Maui residents raised $1,170 for the Maui Food Bank, while saving energy in the process, through Hawai‘i Energy’s “Rid-A-Fridge to Fight Hunger” program.

Hawai‘i Energy, the ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program for Hawai‘i, Honolulu and Maui counties, developed the program in August 2011 to encourage residents to properly recycle old working refrigerators or freezers.

In addition to saving energy, Hawai‘i Energy provides a $65 cash rebate for Maui and Hawai‘i Island residents and $50 for those on O‘ahu.

With Rid-A-Fridge, residents have the option to donate their rebate to support their island’s respective food banks.

By recycling a refrigerator or freezer, residents on O‘ahu can save approximately $283 annually on their energy costs based on an average of 33 cents per kilowatt hour. Refrigerators and freezers built
prior to 1993 can be two to three times more expensive to operate than new ENERGY STAR® models.

All residential electric utility customers on Hawai‘i Island, Maui and O‘ahu are eligible to participate. To
qualify, refrigerators or freezers must be full-size (at least 14 cubic feet) and in working condition.

Hawai‘i Energy provides free curb-side pick-up and proper recycling.

Since Hawai‘i Energy began the recycling program, approximately 2,876 refrigerators and freezers have been recycled and kept out of landfills as of June 2015. Recycling ensures that the inefficient units will not be resold or handed down, thus continuing to waste energy. An estimated 2.37 million kWh and $808,363 in electricity costs have been saved annually based on an average
32 cents per kWh across Hawai‘i Island, Maui and O‘ahu.

To schedule a pick-up for your working refrigerator or freezer, call (877) 231-8222 toll-free on Maui and Hawai‘i Island and (808) 537-5577 on O‘ahu.

For more information, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com/rid-a-fridge.