GWP offers program for recycling refrigerators

Karen S. Kim

Low-income residents tired of using outdated, loud-humming

refrigerators could be eligible for a brand new replacement, courtesy

of Glendale Water and Power.

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the utility’s

Cool Care Low Income Refrigerator Replacement and Recycling program,

which aims to reduce electric bills of residents and help the

environment.

“It’s a win-win,” Councilman Gus Gomez said. “It’s a benefit both

to the consumer and to the city. The customer gets a brand-new

refrigerator, and the city gets the benefit of having more

energy-efficient appliances and less of a demand on the city’s energy

system.”

Low-income residents, which include GWP Senior Care customers,

Section 8 tenants and customers whose household income is 150% below

federal poverty guidelines could receive a new 15- or 18.5-cubic-foot

Energy Star refrigerator, which uses less electricity than average

refrigerators. Eligible residents must also have been GWP customers

for at least 12 months and be using a refrigerator that’s at least 10

years old.

If a tenant assumes ownership of the refrigerator, he or she must

pay a $100 co-payment on their electric bill in six payments over a

year. For landlords who take ownership of the refrigerator, they must

pay a $200 co-payment to GWP over six payments in a year.

“It’s not unusual for someone to keep a refrigerator for 20

years,” GWP General Manager Ignacio Troncoso said. “As long as

there’s no problem with it, it’s something you don’t really think of.

This program will help save our customers money and save energy as a

whole because older refrigerators use more energy.”

Outdated refrigerators can account for 30% to 40% of a customer’s

energy use, expending about 1,200 kilowatt hours each year. New

Energy Star refrigerators use only about 440 kilowatt hours.

Thus, participants in the program can save about $106 a year,

according to a staff report.

Old refrigerators will be recycled. The program will use $700,000

of GWP’s public benefit fund, state-mandated money collected through

a small fee on each customer’s utility bill every month.