As communicated by Joseph M. McGuire, President of the AHAM (USA Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers), retiring just half of the 15-plus-year-old refrigerators currently drawing energy from the USA’s electric grid would save as much energy as the entire Energy Star refrigerator program has saved over the past 12 years. AHAM introduces a new program that will chase down these savings for an increase in energy efficiency across the U.S. and Canada and to spur consumer purchases of major appliances. The purpose of the Early Replacement program is to educate appliance owners on the money saving benefits from responsibly replacing their aging appliances, starting with refrigerators. The potential is very wide. AHAM data shows that 41% of appliance owners decided to keep their older refrigerator operating even after purchasing a new model. By replacing a 15-year-old refrigerator in the basement with today’s Energy Star model, a consumer will cut the product’s energy use in half and save $55 per year. There are 860 million major appliances installed in the U.S. And many of them are much less efficient than products made today. There are many other benefits of Early Replacement too. A well-coordinated Early Replacement program will improve the economy by driving consumer spending on new appliances and collateral purchases. Also, all the energy savings translate to reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to decreased demand for electricity. Early Replacement is a top initiative for the industry, and AHAM wants the Department of Energy, the EPA, utilities, and retailers to partner with the industry to drive this program that is entirely compatible with the goals of all of these groups. Besides, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has developed a new website, CoolEnergySavings.org, to assist consumers in understanding new U.S. Department of Energy standards for refrigerators and freezers. The new standards will reduce full-size refrigerator energy consumption by 25 percent, on average, compared to models manufactured 10 years ago.
