Dominion Energy will pay for your old fridge

Dominion Energy is launching a refrigerator recycling program that offers a no-cost appliance removal service for Virginia customers. The program is the first of a set of new energy-efficiency and demand response programs being introduced to help customers lower their energy usage and save money on their electric bills.

The appliance recycling program pays customers $20 for old refrigerator or freezer units that are in working order, but use more electricity than newer, more efficient models.

“Many of us have an old refrigerator or freezer in the basement or garage, but don’t realize just how much energy these older appliances require to run. We want to make it easy for our customers to help the environment, and their wallets, by picking up their old appliances for a $20 incentive,” said Nathan Frost, Director of New Technology and Energy Conservation, Dominion Energy. “Dominion Energy is excited to be able to offer our customers more opportunities to reduce their energy usage.”

Units picked up through the program are transported to an appliance recycling facility operated by Recleim, LLC. Recleim safely removes harmful materials from obsolete appliances, and captures 95 percent of the materials for reuse into a variety of products, such as laptops, cell phones, concrete mix and soda cans.

The refrigerator and freezer recycling program is available to Dominion Energy customers in Virginia. Certain size and age requirements exist for the program. Customers can call 877-785-6681 or visit dominionenergy.com/fridge to learn more and schedule a pickup. Customers will not receive a bill for the service and could see benefits on future energy bills – participants could save up to an average of $150 a year in energy costs by not operating an outdated refrigerator or freezer.

The other residential and non-residential energy efficiency programs will be available later this year and will include energy assessments and rebates on specific energy efficient appliances, among others. The programs are designed to help customers use energy more efficiently and maximize savings on their electric bills.

These programs are the first approved by the State Corporation Commission since the passage of the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018, under which Dominion Energy will propose at least $870 million in energy-efficiency programs over the next ten years.