NSTAR Celebrates 1,500th Refrigerator, Freezer Pick-Up Through Mass SaveŽ Recycling Program
August 31, 2010
A refrigerator pick-up today at a Needham home became the 1,500th such visit within NSTAR Electric’s service territory. Through the company’s participation in a statewide Mass SaveŽ recycling program, NSTAR customers can receive $50 to have the old energy-wasters removed from their basement or garage.
The 1,500 milestone was reached within four months since NSTAR officially launched the program in April. Collectively, Mass Save has paid a total of $75,000 to NSTAR customers who have scheduled the free pickup of an older, second refrigerator or freezer. These appliances, typically stored in garages and basements, consume as much as three times more energy than newer models. By having the old clunkers picked up, customers can save up to $150 a year through lower electric costs.
“We’ve experienced a very strong response to our recycling program and we expect that to continue as word spreads about how easy it is to save money and energy,” said Penni Conner, NSTAR Vice President of Customer Care. “Anyone who has an older, second refrigerator in their basement or garage should look into how Mass Save can pay them money for saving money.”
Unlike traditional rebate programs, there’s no purchase necessary to participate in the refrigerator and freezer recycling offer. Customers interested in scheduling a pickup need only call 877-545-4113 or visit www.masssave.com/recycle.
Participation also comes with a powerful, longer-term benefit that makes a positive difference for everyone. When old refrigerators and freezers are discarded in landfills, they unleash a toxic brew of oils, mercury, PCBs and greenhouse gasses into the environment. By having their units picked up instead, NSTAR customers start a process where their refrigerator or freezer is safely disassembled and 95 percent recycled, with its toxic components rendered harmless. Even the foam insulation is safely incinerated and the heat used to generate power back to the grid.
A maximum of two units per household can be removed as part of the program. All must be secondary units, in working order and have an inside measurement of 10 cubic feet or more.
NSTAR customers can also learn more about this and the many other programs and rebates the company has to offer by visiting the energy efficiency pages of www.nstar.com.
NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including more than one million electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities.
