Frequently Asked Questions

What is the The Great Refrigerator Roundup Program?

Festival Hydro, with support from the Ontario Power Authority, is making it simple for Ontarians to do their part to conserve energy and ease the strain on the electricity system by designing a program that offers to pick up older refrigerators and freezers as well as window air conditioners and small bar fridges from residents of Ontario, and fully decommission them in an environmentally friendly manner.

The Great Refrigerator Roundup is a program designed to remove older, inefficient fridges and freezers from the electricity system. Generally, these older secondary fridges and freezers, located in basements or garages, are plugged in but rarely used. These older units typically use two to three times more electricity than new appliances.

When will the program launch?

The program will be rolled out across the province of Ontario commencing in mid-June.

When will it be available in my area?

Depending on logistical constraints, it may be that the program will only be available in some areas for specific time periods during the year. Further details will be made available as the program gets underway. You can check the Ontario Power Authority’s website at everykilowattcounts.com or call 1-877-797-9473 for more information.

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 will be saving money by eliminating a major home electricity user. You 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. There are no hassles, a professional contractor will remove the fridge/freezer or window air conditioner from your home and take it away for you for proper decommissioning.

I have an older fridge, freezer or window air conditioner and I want to get rid of it immediately, what do I do?

I would like to suggest to you that you simply unplug the unit so that you are not consuming any additional electricity, book your appliance pick up time by calling 1-877-797-9473 and then wait for the pick up to occur. By doing this, you will ensure that your appliance is taken away and decommissioned in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

How do I know if my appliance will qualify for the 2007 program?

Your refrigerator or freezer must be 10 years or older, it must be located in a single dwelling home, a townhouse or a duplex, triplex or four-plex building. It must be in working condition at the time of pickup, and must be between 10 and 27 cubic feet.

You may also include for pick up during the same appointment, any old window air conditioners and or a smaller sized refrigerator or freezer that is smaller than 10 cubic feet, and in working condition.

While customers will be required to provide this information at the time of scheduling a an appointment, the pick up service providers will be required to verify that the eligibility requirements have been met.

How do I sign up?

Visit the Ontario Power Authority’s website at www.everykilowattcounts.com and it will provide you with more information pertaining to launch dates as they become available in your area.

You have several options:

1. You can book on-line by visiting the Ontario Power Authority’s website at (www.everykilowattcounts.com). It will provide you with specific program launch dates in your area of the province and will allow you to sign up for a pick up time on line.
2. You may also book an appointment by calling the Ontario Power Authority’s Customer Contact Centre at 1-877-797-9473

Why are multi-residential buildings not included in the program?

For this program, only refrigerators, freezers or window air conditioners located in single dwelling homes, townhouses, or smaller multi-plexes are eligible. Ownership and removal issues in larger buildings prevent us from picking them up at this time.

What’s so bad about older fridges, freezers or window air conditioners?

These technologies have changed tremendously over the past 20 years. A typical fridge built in 1986 uses 1,500 kWh, costing $180 per year while a new Energy Star® rated fridge will use approximately one third less energy.

Does it make sense to replace my older fridge, freezer or window air conditioner 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 of about $130. At this rate, the savings will pay for the cost of the new refrigerator in 5 to 7 years.

What incentive is being provided to remove the older fridge, freezer and air conditioner?

We are pleased to be offering this program to residents since it provides free pick up by staff who will remove it from your home, environmentally safe disposal of the CFCs and electricity savings for you of about $150 by removing that old refrigerator. To hire someone to take it out of your home and dispose of it can cost up to $90 and if you were to remove this fridge yourself and place it on the curb, and there is frequently a charge of about $30 from the municipality.

What is being done with the appliances that are taken away?

The appliances are being decommissioned and dismantled 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.

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.

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.

Are there other programs to save electricity that are available to homeowners now?

Yes there are currently 3 programs being run by the Ontario Power Authority that you may be interested in:

1. The Summer Savings Program is designed to reduce summer electricity consumption by ten per cent among all Ontario’s homeowners. This program runs from July 1-August 31 and will allow participating residents who reduce their electricity consumption by 10% to save 10% on their electricity bill. Complete program details can be found on our website.
2. The peaksaver™ Program allows qualified customers who reside in areas where electricity usage is higher in summer than in winter to have Festival Hydro briefly reduce the central air conditioner’s electricity usage during critical peak times which are typically weekday afternoons during the hottest days of the summer but never on holidays or weekends. Learn all about it here.
3. 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 installations 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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