The Every
Kilowatt Counts
Great
Refrigerator
Roundup program
is designed to
remove older,
inefficient
fridges and
freezers from
the electricity
system.
Generally, these
older
appliances,
located in
basements or
garages, are
plugged in but
rarely used to
their full
capacity. The
fridges,
commonly
referred to as
‘beer fridges’,
are typically
much older units
that use two to
three times more
electricity than
new
refrigerators.
Household
appliances
account for
about 20 per
cent of the
average
homeowner’s
electricity
bill. Over the
last two
decades, in part
due to Canada’s
improved
energy-efficiency
standards,
appliance
manufacturers
have greatly
improved the
efficiency of
these
appliances. For
example, today’s
refrigerators
use less than
half the
electricity of
those built in
1984 or earlier.
Program
participants
will sign up
either online at
www.everykilowattcounts.com/roundup
or by calling
1-877-797-9473
to book their
appointments for
free pick-up of
the
refrigerator.
Consumers will
receive a
confirmation
call one day
prior to their
scheduled
pick-up to
ensure that the
fridge or
freezer is
plugged in
overnight (to
confirm it is in
working
condition). Upon
request, window
air conditioners
and smaller bar
fridges will
also be
collected in
conjunction with
fridge and/or
freezer
pick-ups.
Recycling
Recycling is a
key element of
the The Great
Refrigerator
Roundup.
Appliances
collected
through the
program will be
disposed of in
an
environmentally
safe manner,
resulting in a
significantly
reduced
contribution to
local landfill.
Full recycling
includes removal
and proper
handling of
CFC-based
refrigerants and
foam insulation;
draining,
decontamination
and recycling of
compressor oils;
and recycling of
plastic, glass
and metals.
Retiring a
Refrigerator
To qualify,
refrigerators or
freezers must be
at least ten
years old,
between 10 to 27
cubic feet, and
in working
condition at the
time of pick-up.
They must also
be located at a
single-family
residence within
the service area
of a
participating
electricity
distributor.
Further
information
about the
program will be
available in
June. For
information
please contact
the Ontario
Power Authority
Customer Care
Centre at
1-877-797-9473.
The Great
Refrigerator
Roundup program
is designed to
remove energy
intensive
appliances from
the Ontario
power grid.
Appliances not
in working
condition are
not eligible for
pick-up.