If you're still running that empty 1980s refrigerator in the basement for sporadic holiday leftovers, a depleted March Madness game-day platter or the five-pound container of pimento cheese from your Derby brunch, kick start spring cleaning and properly recycle that energy guzzler through LG&E and KU's new Fridge and Freezer Recycling Program. 

While you're at it, let Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company give you $30 in return for reducing your energy consumption and properly recycling your appliance.

An inefficient refrigerator may be near and dear to your heart, but it could be sucking up nearly one month's worth of your energy usage by chugging year-round to keep its cool.

According to ENERGY STAR®, models manufactured 30 to 40 years ago use nearly two times the amount of energy each year compared to today's high-efficient ENERGY STAR®-qualified refrigerators, which use approximately 500 kilowatt-hours annually.

"We not only want to help customers reduce their energy usage, but we also want to ensure these appliances won't be left behind in a local landfill.  Nearly every part of the refrigerators and freezers will be disassembled and properly recycled by our program partner, ARCA, Inc.," said David Huff, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Smart Grid Strategy for LG&E and KU.

How does it work?

Residential electric customers can schedule a pick-up time to have a trained collection team remove and properly recycle up to two inefficient refrigerators and/or freezers at their convenience in the same calendar year. The appliances must be at least 7.75 cubic feet or larger, operational, empty and accessible for removal.

Weekday, evening and Saturday appointments are available. Customers can sign in to My Account at lge-ku.com to submit a request online or call 1-800-356-5467.

What's recycled?

The appliances will be carefully disassembled so the metals, plastics, glass, foam insulation, PCBs, CFC-12 refrigerant and used oil can be properly recycled, according to the EPA Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program.

In one refrigerator alone, about 200 pounds of parts are recycled to be reused to produce new raw materials, such as steel, aluminum, copper and glass.

The Fridge and Freezer Recycling Program is part of the LG&E and KU expanded Energy Efficiency portfolio approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission in November 2011 to offer residential and commercial customers more options to reduce and better manage their energy use.

The portfolio of programs has the ability to reduce 500 megawatts of demand by 2018 if customers take advantage of these programs.  To learn more, visit www.lge-ku.com/recycle. 


Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 397,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. Kentucky Utilities serves 546,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.

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