Old refrigerators are inefficient and consume much more power than modern ones, quietly raising electric bills across South Carolina.
The worst offenders can be old fridges that got moved to a garage after a kitchen fridge was upgraded. They’re handy for keeping drinks cold, but depending when they were manufactured they could be adding as much as a few hundred dollars to the annual power bill.
Dominion Energy SC and predecessor South Carolina Electric & Gas have long offered a rebate to encourage people to eliminate or upgrade old refrigerators. It’s free bonus money for anyone who already planned to upgrade, and an incentive for others to consider doing so.
When I replaced a 17-year-old fridge in 2015, SCE&G came and took the old one away and gave me $50.
Now, Dominion has temporarily doubled that incentive, to $100.
Replacing an ancient fridge can quickly pay for itself in energy savings, and a $100 rebate can sure help with the upfront cost. A new “Energy Star” refrigerator can cost under $1,000 for a simple model, like the one I bought for my kitchen this year, for $850.
So, knock $100 off the price, then see how much you could save on electric bills. There’s an Energy Star calculator online for that, at energystar.gov/products/appliances/refrigerators/flip-your-fridge.
Here’s what Energy Star estimates a customer who pays electricity rates similar to Dominion’s would spend annually to power a 20 cubic inch, freeze-on-top fridge, depending when it was manufactured.
- 2011-present: $60
- 2001-2010: $89
- 1993-2000: $141
- 1990-92: $211
- 1980-89: $276
Replacing a 1989 model with a new one, according to Energy Star, would save $216 yearly on power bills. Replacing one from 2000 would save $81 each year. The larger and older the fridge, the greater the savings.
Two years ago, I talked with a Mount Pleasant resident who got rid of an old commercial-size freezer that she’d used in her garage while raising a family. She said her annual electric bill dropped by more than $500.
If you’re a Dominion residential customer who plans to replace or get rid of a fridge or freezer, and you want that $100 rebate, here’s how it works:
- Call before Aug. 31 to schedule a free pickup no later than Sept. 30, in order to get the $100 rebate. The number is 877-510-7234.
- The fridge must be a full-size model, and it must be working. It doesn’t have to work well, but you’ll need to be able to plug it in and demonstrate that it runs.
- The fridge can be picked inside or outside a home, typically from a driveway, garage or porch.
- Dominion will collect the old fridge, make it unusable, and recycle the refrigerant and materials. The customer will get a check in four to six weeks.
- Each customer can get up to two rebates.
If you’re not a Dominion customer, check with your utility to see what savings programs they offer. Some, like Duke Energy, don’t offer refrigerator rebates but they do offer rebates for all sorts of other energy-saving steps a customer could take, from upgrading insulation to replacing and HVAC system.
Dominion also sells LED light bulbs, smart thermostats, water-saving shower heads, power strips and other energy-saving devices to customers at a discount.
Up-front discounts and rebates offer financial help on the front end. Saving money year after year on electric bills provides the long-term savings.
