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Home > Energy Efficiency Tips & Tools
 The
Great Refrigerator Roundup program provides FREE in-home pickup and disposal
of your old fridges, freezers and room air conditioners. Hydro One is
proud to offer this program to our customers in partnership with the Ontario
Power Authority (OPA). Learn more about the program in our bill
insert (PDF 2.0 MB).
The Great Refrigerator Roundup Program offers free pick-up of old, inefficient
refrigerators and freezers that can cost up to $150 per year in electricity
to operate. The Ontario Power Authority will arrange for the disposal
of the fridges/freezers in an environmentally responsible manner. 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.
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.
The Great Refrigerator Roundup program launched on July 16, 2007 and
is now available in every region of Ontario. For more information about
the program for Hydro One customers, please visit the OPA's website at
www.everykilowattcounts.com/roundup
or call 1-877-797-9473 to make an appointment.
What appliances qualify for the Roundup?
To qualify for an appliance pickup you must be arranging for the pick
up of an appliance from the 'primary appliance' category below. If you
have at least one primary appliance to be picked up, you may include secondary
appliances for pickup.
Primary appliance: Full-sized refrigerators and full-sized
freezers must be:
• between 10-27 cubic feet
• in working condition
• 10 years of age or older.
Secondary appliance: Smaller refrigerators and freezers (bar/mini
fridges) that are less than 10 cubic feet and window air-conditioners.
These appliances must be:
• in working condition
• 10 years of age or older
• window air conditioners must be removed from the window prior to
pickup.
The Great Refrigerator Roundup Program is available to:
- Residents of Ontario with appliances located in a single family dwelling,
townhouse or a duplex, triplex or fourplex.
- The residence (pick up location) must be easily accessible by paved
roads and/or roads that are serviced by municipalities in the winter.
- Single lane driveways/laneways must have enough room for a truck to
turn around.
- Doorways into and within the residence must be wide enough for the
appliance to be removed.
- The path to the appliance must be of sufficient size and free of clutter
so as to permit two people working with an appliance dolly to remove
it without undue delay.
- If it is a built-in appliance, it must be removed from its secured
location prior to pickup.
How do I sign up?
You have two options:
1. You can book a pickup time online by visiting the Ontario
Power Authority's website at www.everykilowattcounts.com/roundup.
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.
What incentive is being provided to remove the older fridge, freezer
and/or 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.
Is Hydro One's Cold Shoulder Appliance Pickup Program still operating?
No. Friday, July 13, 2007 was
the last day for customers to make appointments to have their old appliances
picked up under the Cold Shoulder program. This program has been a great
success, and we'd like to thank the more than 11,000 customers who participated.
The Great Refrigerator Roundup is now available for any customers wanting
free in-home pickup of a fridge, freezer or room air conditioner which
meet the eligibility criteria.
The Hydro One Great Refrigerator Roundup has rolled out across Ontario
and you can book an appointment by calling 1-877-797-9473, or online
at www.everykilowattcounts.com/roundup.
When you book an appointment, you will need to confirm that your appliance
meets the criteria for pick up.
Please note that the program sometimes experiences high call volumes
and you may not get through the first time. If you are unable to reach
a call agent, please call again at a later date or book your appointment
online.
Roundup Reminders!
The fridge/freezer should be plugged in 24 hours before your pick up
appointment so that we can verify that it is in working condition.
a. Remove all food from the appliance and defrost the freezer.
b. Drain the drop pan and disconnect all water lines from the unit prior
to pickup.
c. Ensure a clear pathway to the appliances being removed by clearing
any furniture or storage items nearby.
d. Remove or restrain any pets.
You will receive a confirmation number and you will receive a reminder
one or two days prior to your pickup appointment.
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