Pull the plug on your old, inefficient fridge

Old fridges are bad news. They waste loads of energy and money, and they’re not good for the environment. The good news is that if you live in the Wellington City or Porirua areas you can have your old fridge or freezer taken away for free – and you’ll get $25 for it.

As part of its ENERGYWISE™ initiative to make our homes more energy efficient, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has partnered up with two organisations to pilot a fridge retirement programme in the Wellington area until the end of June. In Wellington City, Transpacific will give you $25 for your old fridge, take it away, and dispose of it in an environmentally responsible way. Trash Palace are offering the same great deal to Porirua residents. To be eligible, fridges must be at least 5 years old, in working condition, and at least 100 litres in size.

Old refrigeration appliances are much less energy efficient than new ones - older models typically use 2-3 times more electricity. Around a third of all fridges and freezers were made before the phasing out of CFCs, which are harmful to the ozone layer and contain potent greenhouse gases. Putting these old appliances out of use will save householders on their power bills and benefit the environment.

EECA Chief Executive Mike Underhill says “So many kiwi households have two fridges running. And it’s likely that one of these is the old, inefficient fridge that has been shifted to the garage instead of recycled. This energy guzzler is costing the owners around $200 a year to run, and the chances are it is sitting nearly empty half the time. By getting rid of this fridge, the owner and New Zealand comes out better off.”

The fridge roundup pilot is part of the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy’s goal for better performing products. With about 450,000 old, inefficient fridges and freezers in use throughout New Zealand, the potential for savings is huge.

EECA’s partnership with Transpacific is one of a series of pilots being run to assess the feasibility of implementing a long-term fridge retirement programme across New Zealand.

To request a fridge pick-up, residents living Wellington City can call the fridge pick-up line on 0800 652 424 or email roundup@transpac.co.nz. Porirua residents can call 04 237 6321 or email fridgepickup@trashpalace.co.nz.