Focus on Energy Appliance Recycling Program
Looking for an inexpensive way to get rid of an old refrigerator or freezer in your home? Maybe it’s time to replace your appliance (refrigerators built before 1993 can use two to three times as much energy as newer, high-efficiency models). Or perhaps you keep an old refrigerator in your garage or basement and you don’t have a need for it anymore. Whatever your situation is, take a look at the Focus on Energy Appliance Recycling Program. According to Focus on Energy, recycling one of these appliances could save you roughly $150 a year on your energy bills!
If you’re a customer of a participating electric utility (yes, We Energies participates), Focus on Energy will remove the refrigerator or freezer and you’ll get a $30 cash back reward! How easy is that?
Refrigerators and freezers must be in working condition. If you have a non-working appliance, you’ll need to contact your current waste and recycling hauler to arrange pick up (and you’ll probably have to pay a fee). For more details, visit the Focus on Energy website.
Milwaukee Energy Efficiency Program
Thomas Content, who covers the Energy industry for JSOnline, recently wrote an interesting article about the announcement of the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency Program, which is referred to as Me2.
Here’s how the program works. A homeowner can contact a Me2 Advocate, who will set up an energy evaluation for their home. The homeowner will be charged a fee, but it will be subsidized by the Me2 program. If the homeowner implements the top three suggestions from the energy evaluation, the cost of the evaluation can be rebated. The improvements must be made by a contractor that is approved by the Me2 program.
The Me2 program also helps homeowners take out loans to improve the energy efficiency of their home. The homeowner then uses the savings on their energy bills to pay off the loan. The goal of the program is to help 4,000 homeowners reduce their utility bills.
According to the Me2 website, the program is designed to help homeowners that fall into certain income groups. The Me2 website does not specify the income criteria that is necessary to participate in the program. However, if you do not meet the criteria you can also check the Focus on Energy website to learn more about other energy efficiency programs such as Targeted Home Performance with Energy Star.
If you are interested in learning more about the Me2 program, check out the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency program website.
Targeted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
Focus on Energy administers a program to give qualifying Wisconsin residents assistance with evaluating and implementing energy efficient projects. The program is called Targeted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and is available to Wisconsin residents who meet certain income requirements based on 60% to 80% of the State Median Income. For example, a household of one person needs to have annual income between $23,435 and $31,246 to qualify. A household of four people needs to have annual income between $45,067 and $60,089.
Those who qualify can receive a free home energy evaluation. Depending upon the results of the evaluation, the homeowner may receive insulation, heating and cooling updates, energy saving devices (CFLs, water-saving showerheads, etc.), and/or ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. Homeowners might also have their air leaks sealed as well.
For complete information on the program, including income requirements and an application, visit the Targeted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR webpage at FocusOnEnergy.com.
Also, if you or someone you know has participated in this program, please contact us. We would like to learn more about this program so we can share experiences and benefits with our readers.
