Efficiency Vermont wants your second-string refrigerator or freezer, and will pay you $50 to haul it away.
Moreover, unplugging that energy sucker could save you as much as $150 each year in electric bills, according to Lara Bonn of Efficiency Vermont.
That's how much more it could cost to run a second refrigerator you might not need or use but is plugged in and drawing current all the same.
“It's like paying rent on your own appliance,” she said.
Retiring an old fridge right now puts cash in your pocket, cuts household electricity costs, and reduces pollution from power plants by lowering Vermont's energy use, she added.
After pickup, refrigerators and freezers will be brought to a facility operated by JACO Environmental, which will recycle 95 percent of the appliances' materials, and safely dispose of non-recyclables such as insulation, oil, and thermostat mercury, Bonn said.
Participants will receive a check for $50 (or $100 for two units, maximum) four to six weeks after pickup.
Efficiency Vermont provides technical assistance, rebates, and other financial incentives to help Vermont households and businesses reduce their energy costs with energy-efficient equipment, lighting, and approaches to construction and major renovation.
It is operated by a private nonprofit organization, the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, under an appointment issued by the Vermont Public Service Board.