Customers who recycle an old working refrigerator or freezer during holiday promotion receive $50 rebate
 

GAHANNA, Ohio, November 1, 2011 – With the holidays just around the corner, AEP Ohio has boosted its appliance recycling incentive in time for the holiday shopping season.

            AEP Ohio is increasing its appliance recycling program rebate from $35 to $50 for its customers who are ready to replace their old, energy guzzling refrigerator or freezer.  This limited time offer runs November 1 through December 31, 2011, 

            “Keeping outdated refrigerators and freezers running comes with a higher cost than most people realize,” said Jon Williams, AEP Ohio manager energy efficiency and peak demand response.  “The program gives customers an immediate way to start saving money for the New Year.  All they have to do is schedule an appointment with us to have their old, working refrigerator or freezer picked up, and 4-6 weeks after the pickup, they will receive a $50 rebate check in the mail.”  This limited time offer expires at the end of the year.
            Many people continue to use older refrigerators after they buy a new one. Older appliances can account for approximately 15 percent of the average AEP Ohio customer’s electric usage.  Refrigerators and freezers manufactured before 1990 can use as much as 1,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) a year.  Recycling one means energy savings of up to $150 a year. 

            “Besides consuming three to four times the energy of newer, more efficient refrigerators, old refrigerators contain a toxic brew that includes mercury, oil and ozone-eating CFCs from foam insulation. As a result, old refrigerators pose a significant threat to the environment when improperly discarded,” said Michael Dunham, JACO’s Director of Energy and Environmental Programs. “This program helps customers save energy and the environment.”

            To schedule a free, in-home appliance pick up call 1-877-545-4112 or visit gridSMARTOhio.com.  Refrigerators and freezers must be at least 10 cubic feet in size and operational at the time of pickup.

            The old units are sent to an appliance recycling facility operated by JACO Environmental, a leading, national provider of appliance recycling services. JACO’s process demanufactures nearly 95 percent of each refrigerator, including metals, plastic, oils and foam insulation, which are safely incinerated.
            The AEP Ohio refrigerator recycling program is one of several energy efficiency programs offered by the utility to help residential and commercial electric customers use less energy, save money on their bills and protect the environment. 

            Investor-owned utilities in Ohio are required to meet specific energy reduction targets. The energy efficiency programs are part of AEP Ohio’s overall energy efficiency and peak demand response efforts to meet the State of Ohio target of reducing electricity consumption 22 percent by the end of 2025.  For more information about AEP Ohio’s energy efficiency consumer programs, events and tips, go to gridSMARTOhio.com.

            AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio and to Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at aepohio.com.

            American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east and north Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. News releases and other information about AEP can be found at www.aep.com.

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