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FAQ's
(Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What is The Great Refrigerator
Roundup program?
The Great Refrigerator Roundup is a program designed to remove older,
inefficient fridges and freezers from the electricity system. Generally,
these appliances are located in basements or garages, are plugged in but
rarely used, and they typically use two to three times more electricity than
new appliances. The program offers to pick up older refrigerators and
freezers as well as window air conditioners and dehumidifiers from residents
of Ontario and fully decommission them in an environmentally friendly
manner.
2. When did The Great Refrigerator
Roundup program start?
The Great Refrigerator Roundup program began rolling out across the province
of Ontario on June 18, 2007.
3. How long will The Great
Refrigerator Roundup program be available?
It is an ongoing program that will be available for the foreseeable
future.
4. Why would I want to participate
in this program?
There are many great reasons to participate in this program. By having your
old inefficient refrigerator or freezer removed from your home, you could
save between $120-$150 per year on your electricity bill by eliminating a
major home electricity user and will :
-
be helping the environment
by reducing the impact of electricity generation and by having the
fridge, freezer or window air conditioner decommissioned in an
environmentally responsible way.
-
be free of hassles – a
professional contractor will remove the fridge/freezer, window air
conditioner and/or dehumidifier from your home and take it away for you
for proper decommissioning.
-
help ensure that old
appliances are not resold and put back into the market wasting more
energy.
5. How do I know if my appliance
will qualify for the 2010 program?
To qualify, you must have at least one appliance as shown in the “primary
appliance” category below:
A primary appliance is defined as a full-size refrigerator or freezer that
is:
-
between 10 and 27 cubic
feet (standard size)
-
in working condition at
the time of pickup
-
15 years or older
-
located in a
single-dwelling home, a townhouse or a duplex, triplex or four-plex
building (some apartments and condominiums that are over three stories,
may also qualify).
*Note: Ammonia-based refrigerators are not
eligible for pick up
If you have at least one “primary
appliance,” then we will also pick up any other appliances shown on the
secondary appliance list at the same time.
A secondary appliance is defined as a
window air conditioner or dehumidifier and must be:
-
in working condition at
the time of pick up
-
10 years or older
-
window air conditioners
must be removed from the window prior to pick up and located near a
power source.
6. I’m not sure how many
cubic feet my fridge is. How do I measure it?
If your fridge is approximately
5 ½'‘ high, then it is likely at
least 10 cu. ft. (for a freezer it would be the length that would be
5 ½ ‘).
The inside capacity of the fridge is measured in cubic feet. To determine
how many cubic feet your fridge is, take a measuring tape and measure the
following:
-
the depth, width and
height of the freezer compartment (e.g. 2’ X2 .4’ X1’ = 4.8 cu ft)
-
the depth, width and
height of the fridge compartment (e.g. 2’ X 2.4’ X 3’ = 14.4 cu ft)
-
add the cubic feet of both
the freezer and fridge compartment and it totals = 19.2 cu. ft
* NOTE: REMEMBER TO MEASURE IN FEET
7. I’m not sure how old my fridge
is. How do I check?
Most refrigerators and freezers have a manufacturer’s sticker on the back or
on the inside at the bottom portion of the ledge by the door, and the date
is usually included in the numbers written on the sticker.
8. I have an older fridge, freezer
or window air conditioner and I want to get rid of it immediately, what do I
do?
You have two options:
-
You can
click here
for a fast and easy way to book your appointment online.
http://everykilowattcounts.ca/residential/fridge/
-
You can call the Ontario
Power Authority’s Customer Contact Centre at 1-877-797-9473. The call
centre is open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. to schedule your pick
up appointment.
While you are waiting for your appointment
date, it's a good idea to unplug the appliance so that you're not consuming
any additional electricity. Keep in mind that 24 hours prior to your
appointment, you will be required to plug in your fridge or freezer to
verify for the appliance removal technician that it is in working condition.
Window air conditioners must be placed on the floor close to a power source.
9. I have a fridge or freezer that
is smaller than 10 cu. ft. I thought I could have these picked up along with
my larger ones. Why can I no longer have them picked up?
As of July 2nd, 2008 smaller fridges and freezers will no longer be included
in appointment bookings for The Great Refrigerator Roundup program. It was
found through ongoing program evaluation that the electricity savings on
smaller fridges and freezers was minimal. Window air conditioners on the
other hand, provide significant electricity savings and for that reason,
they remain a secondary appliance in the program.
10. Is there a limit to how many
appointments I can book in one year?
No, there is no limit as to the number of appointments you can book in one
year and up to 10 appliances may be booked at any one time.
11. When did multi-residential
buildings become a part of the program?
Buildings such as condominiums and apartments where the tenants own the
fridge or freezer and where there is appropriate access (including parking
for the trucks and elevators to remove appliances) are now included in the
Great Refrigerator Roundup, effective January 2010.
12. What’s so bad about older
fridges, freezers, window air conditioners or dehumidifiers?
These technologies have changed tremendously over the past 20 years. A
typical fridge built in 1986 uses 1,500 kilowatt-hours, costing between
$120-$150 per year, while a new ENERGY STAR® rated fridge will use
approximately two-thirds less energy.
13. Does it make sense to replace
my older fridge, freezer, window air conditioner or dehumidifier with a new
one?
It may, because newer fridges (freezers or window air conditioners) cost so
much less to operate than an older unit. For example, replacing a
20-year-old, 18 cubic feet refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR® qualified
refrigerator will result in an annual energy cost savings between $75-$100.
At this rate, the savings will pay for the cost of the new refrigerator in 8
to 10 years.
14. What incentive is being
provided to remove the older fridge, freezer, window air conditioner and
dehumidifier?
In addition to the electricity savings of between $120-$150 per year that
you could realize from getting rid of your old refrigerator or freezer, we
are pleased to be offering free pick up by staff who will remove it from
your home and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner. If you
were to hire someone to take it out of your home and dispose of it, you
might pay up to $90. If you were to remove the appliance yourself and place
it on the curb, many municipalities charge a fee of approximately $30 for
removal of the CFCs. By participating in The Great Refrigerator Roundup, you
just have to book an appointment and we take care of the rest.
15. What is being done with the
appliances that are taken away?
The appliances are being decommissioned so that the components can be
recycled in an environmentally responsible way. Only a bare minimum of
material will reach landfill sites. Particular attention is being paid to
the chemicals used in fridges that are significant atmospheric pollutants
and responsible for ozone depletion. These are being contained and
destroyed.
16. Why will you not pick up
ammonia-based refrigerators?
Ammonia-based units are not eligible appliances under The Great Refrigerator
Roundup program for two reasons; first, the amount of energy an ammonia unit
uses is negligible compared to a normal household refrigerator that uses a
compressor. Ammonia units use electricity only to operate lights, and
smaller units use electricity to operate a small heating element to heat the
ammonia to move it through the sealed system. (The majority of units use
liquid propane or natural gas to heat the ammonia.)
The second reason is that ammonia used as a refrigerant contains an additive
called sodium chromate, which is a known carcinogen. Special equipment is
needed to protect workers and the environment when handling these
appliances.
17. How do I know if my
refrigerator is ammonia-based?
Typically, large ammonia-based refrigerators are approximately 45 years or
older. An ammonia-based fridge is often recognized by its top vent for
dispersing heat. A larger unit will also have a hook-up for liquid propane
or natural gas.
18. Do you have any suggestions as
to how I can get rid of my ammonia based refrigerator?
You may wish to contact your local municipality for further information.
19. Why is this initiative
happening?
Ontario’s electricity use is growing. Population growth and increases in use
of electrical devices will cause increasing demand. This demand can be met
by building more generating stations, but that is expensive and has
environmental implications. An alternative way to allow for growth is to
help Ontarians use electricity as efficiently as possible; using only the
electricity they need and, where possible, avoiding using it at times when
the peak demand for electricity is highest. This saves Ontarians money and
reduces impact on the environment.
20. What is the Ontario Power
Authority?
This is an organization set up by the Ontario provincial government to plan
the Ontario power system, develop generation, develop the electricity sector
and encourage electricity conservation.
21. Are
there other programs to save electricity that are available to homeowners
now? Yes there are currently programs being run by the Ontario
Power Authority that you may be interested in:
·
Cool Savings Rebate: Rebates are offered to residents who
replace old air conditioning systems with ENERGY STAR® qualified models, on tune-ups for existing
air conditioning systems and installation of programmable thermostats by
program registered technicians. Participating heating and cooling
contractors as well as complete program details can be found on the Ontario
Power Authority's website: www.everykilowattcounts.com
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