“This initiative is part of our ongoing effort to encourage energy conservation and efficiency,” said Ray Starling, Hawaii Energy Program Manager. “Customers that receive Home Energy Reports will be empowered to take actions that help them save energy and money.”
 

In addition to presenting household energy use and trends, each Home Energy Report will rank a household’s energy use with 99 anonymous nearby homes of a similar size and construction type. Households will be ranked from “1” to “100” with “1” using the least amount of energy and “100” using the most amount of energy. A ranking of “100” will mean that they have a large potential to save money, whereas a ranking of “1” will mean they can help others by sharing what they do to save electricity.

The reports will suggest tips to help households save energy and money. For those who want to save even more money, Hawaii Energy offers an online feature where households can refine their home profiles, explore other energy-saving tips and develop energy savings plans.
 

This upcoming initiative is an expansion of a pilot that began in the Ewa Plain area on Oahu in May of 2011, which will run through April of 2012. The nearly 15,000 households participating in the pilot have already saved over 750,000 kWh through October of 2011. This is equal to a savings of $245,625 in their electricity bills (based on the effective residential electricity rate of 32.75 cents per kWh on Oahu for October 2011).

“Evidence shows that one of the key ways to reduce energy use is to provide homes with information about their usage and offer suggestions on what they can do to save,” said Larry Newman with Hawaii Energy. “Based on the success of the Ewa Plain Home Energy Reports pilot and similar projects across the country, we expect the expanded initiative to generate significant savings for those on Hawaii Island, Lanai, Maui and Molokai.”
 

Over the next 12 months, it is estimated that the approximately 62,000 households in the expanded initiative could save more than 3.3 million kWh or the equivalent of over $1.3 million in electricity costs (based on an assumed average of 40 cents per kWh for residents of Hawaii Island, Lanai, Maui and Molokai).
 

For more information about Hawaii Energy, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com.
 

About Hawaii Energy
Hawaii Energy is a ratepayer-funded conservation and efficiency program administered by SAIC under contract with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, serving the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. Hawaii Energy offers cash rebates and other incentives to residents and businesses to help offset the cost of installing energy-efficient equipment. In addition to rebates, the program conducts education and training for residents, businesses and trade allies to encourage the adoption of energy conservation behaviors and efficiency measures. The program plays an important role in helping to achieve Hawaii’s goal of reducing total electric energy usage by 30 percent or 4.3 billion kWh by 2030. For more information, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com.
 

# # #

Gabbard said, "Back in June, Governor Abercrombie held his iConserve Rally at the State Capitol to encourage state workers to conserve energy in the workplace. I was driving in from Kapolei for the event and was inspired. Being a former tennis pro and athlete, I thought why not have state buildings here in Hawai‘i compete with each other to see who could reduce their electricity usage the most. But we can also do better than competing with one another on energy. Nobody loses if we all work towards a common purpose. That's why a challenge makes the most sense for Hawai‘i."

The Capital 10 Energy Challenge is patterned after last year's "Battle of the Buildings", sponsored by the EPA, which featured 245 buildings around the country competing to reduce energy use and cost. The goal is to have the 10 Capitol District buildings reduce their combined energy consumption by $100,000 primarily through behavior change during the next calendar year starting this month.

The Capital 10 District includes: the Kalanimoku Building, the Kekauluohi Building (State Archives), the Kekuanaoa Building, the Keoni Ana Building, the Kinau Hale Building, Leiopapa-A-Kamehameha (State Office Tower), No. 1 Capitol District (Hemmeter Building), the Princess Ruth Keelikolani Building, the Queen Liliuokalani Building, and the State Capitol Building.

Gabbard continued, "The key to the success of our Challenge will definitely be our 50 Green Champions. They are dedicated volunteers committed to helping state employees do their part to keep the focus on energy conversation for the whole year."

The Green Champions will be encouraging energy efficiency by convincing people to change their behavior by turning off the lights, hibernating/ shutting down PCs, unplugging/removing personal devices (coffee makers, space heaters), and keeping exterior doors shut. DAGS will be posting monthly progress reports on the web at www.hawaii.gov/green. For more information, contact Senator Gabbard's Office at 586-6830.

Source: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/?p=44359

The typical bill for a Hawaiian Electric Co. customer using 600 kilowatt hours of electricity a month rose to $219.03 in December, up $3.22 from November and about $60 from December 2010.

HECO attributed the rising rates to more expensive petroleum-based fuel used for the bulk of its power generation. Higher fuel costs accounted for more than 90 percent of the overall increase in rates, according to the utility.

Other factors, including a switch to a new rate-setting mechanism known as decoupling and an interim increase in the base rate, contributed to the rise in HECO's rates.

Anna Winslow said she and her husband, Rick, had been considering photovoltaic panels for their Waianae home for several years, and finally were motivated to act after the recent run-up in electricity rates.

"I looked at one of my old bills from 2005 and saw that we were paying 16 cents a kilowatt hour. On my last bill it was 35 cents a kilowatt hour. We went from paying $200 to $250 a month to $400 a month. I said, ‘Whoa, what happened there? This is crazy.'"

The rapid rise in rates has narrowed what had been a traditionally wide gap between Oahu and the neighbor islands. The Oahu rate rose to 35.10 cents a kilowatt hour in December from 24.85 cents a kilowatt hour a year earlier, an increase of 41 percent. By comparison, the rate charged by Maui Electric Co. rose to 35.70 cents a kilowatt hour from 30.56 cents a kilowatt hour during the same span, an increase of 16.8 percent.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. charged its customers 41.70 cents a kilowatt hour in December, up 18.5 percent from a year go, while Kauai Island Utility Cooperative's customers paid 40.6 cents a kilowatt hour, up 13 percent from last December. MECO and HELCO are subsidiaries of HECO, while KIUC is owned by its members.

Hawaii's electric rates are by far the highest in the country. The most recent data published by the U.S. Department of Energy showed that Hawaii's average residential rate was 37.53 cents a kilowatt hour in September. That was nearly double second-place New York, where residents paid an average of 18.91 cents a kilowatt hour. At the bottom of the list was Idaho with an average residential rate of 6.76 cents a kilowatt hour in September.

"On average, electricity prices are highest in Hawaii, mainly because most of the electricity there is generated with fuel oil. Idaho usually has the lowest prices mainly because of the availability of low-cost hydroelectric power from federal dams," according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's website.

The reason rates have risen faster on Oahu than on the neighbor islands is that the type of fossil fuel burned at HECO's power plants, predominately low-sulfur fuel oil, has been trading at a premium compared with other types of fuels, such as diesel, said Peter Rosegg, a spokes­man for HECO. Demand for low-sulfur fuel oil in the Pacific Basin began rising following the shutdown of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March. Japan began importing more low-sulfur fuel oil for electrical generation to help offset the drop in nuclear power production.

In November 2010 HECO was paying $87.75 a barrel for low-sulfur fuel oil, which is used in 99 percent of its oil-filled power plants on Oahu. In November 2011 the price had risen to $131.89 a barrel, an increase of more than 50 percent.

Diesel, the predominant fuel burned by MECO in its oil-fired plants, rose to $140.76 a barrel last month, up 38.8 percent from $101.39 a barrel in November 2010. Medium-sulfur fuel oil, the main petroleum based fuel burned by HELCO, rose to $117.27 a barrel in November, a 48.3 percent increase from $79.08 a barrel a year earlier.

The rise in oil prices illustrates the importance in moving to alternative forms of energy, such as solar, said Mark Duda, president of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association.

Solar panel installations have been on a steep trajectory statewide. The number of systems installed on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island under HECO's net metering program more than doubled in 2010 compared with 2009. And 2011 is on track to more than double the number installed in 2010.

"What we are trying to do is get off of oil and people are more motivated when there is an economic incentive," Duda said. "Here in Hawaii we are always going to be vulnerable as long as we are relying on oil. It is the most volatile fuel that is also the most expensive."

The solar installer that Anna and Rick Winslow, the Waianae couple, chose for their 7-kilowatt PV system was Honolulu-based Revolu­Sun. Winslow said they avoided much of the up-front cost of the system by opting to lease it from Revolu­Sun, which will sell them back the electricity at 9 cents a kilowatt hour for the next 20 years. The Winslows were able to lower the kilowatt-hour rate by paying $20,000 up front.

Under a traditional solar lease in which the installer pays all of the upfront costs, the homeowner typically pays the installer about 20 cents a kilowatt hour.

The final episode, "Made in Hawai'i" Part 2: Advances in Hawai'i Energy Technology" airs now through December 18.  Learn about the most recent advances in energy research and technologies that are paving the way for alternatives to oil.  Hawaii Energy is one of a number of entities underwriting this series.

AIR DATES:

•December 14, 2011 (KHNL), 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
•December 15, 2011 (KGMB), 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
•December 17, 2011 (KHNL), 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
•December 18, 2011 (KGMB), 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Click here to watch the show or the entire series online. 

"Hawaii: The State of Clean Energy" is a six-show series that focuses on key energy issues including: 1) Hawai'i's Clean Energy Future, 2) Clean Transportation, 3) Clean Jobs, 4) Energy Efficiency, 5) Advances in Hawai'i's Energy Technology, and 6) Food and Fuel. Join Hawai'i News Now and the Hawai'i Energy Policy Forum in learning more about Hawai'i's energy concerns and challenges as well as advances and opportunities. You'll hear from the experts in government, research, industry, and the community. And we'll discuss how you can help build a clean energy future for us all. 

Honolulu - Kanu Hawai‘i is organizing a consumer “Carrotmob” to support the efforts of Kale’s Natural Foods to reduce waste and promote recycling at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. The goal is to raise $1,600 for the recycling facilities. These efforts are part of Kanu Hawai‘i’s No Waste Challenge, a campaign spanning the December holiday season, which aims to divert 50,000 pounds of trash away from Hawai‘i’s landfills.

What: Carrotmob Hawaii at Kale’s Natural Foods
When: Sat., Dec. 10, 2011  8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Kale’s Natural Foods
Hawaii Kai Shopping Center
377 Keahole Street # A1
Honolulu, HI 96825

This Carrotmob is on the heels of Hawaii’s first Carrotmob on November 19th, organized by KYA Sustainability Studios. The event successfully raised funds towards the energy efficiency retrofitting of The Wine Stop in Moiliili.

Carrotmob is an innovative way to support local businesses through consumer purchasing power. The name comes from the idiom “carrot or stick”. A large group of people (mob) spends money (carrot) to influence positive changes within a business, opposed to a boycott (stick). Businesses use the extra revenues generated to achieve their sustainability-related objectives.

Kale’s will allocate 20 percent of their December 10th profits toward the creation of storefront recycling bins, the set up of cardboard recycling for the store/deli, and for the purchasing of dine-in dishware for Kale’s to reduce business waste.

“We have always been waste-conscious at Kale’s,” said Jennifer Meleana Hee, a baker at Kale’s. “We never offered plastic bags at checkout, we donate expired groceries to the Hawaii Food Bank, and use food scraps for soup stock and to feed our cook’s chickens.

“We are inspired by Kanu Hawai‘i’s No Waste Challenge. And we want to go a step further.”

Customers participating in Carrotmob this weekend between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. will be treated to free music by Mango Season; free energy-saving giveaways from Hawaii Energy; free sustainable local coupon books from HonuGuide. Everyone who makes a purchase will be entered to win two (2) free Bokashi composting buckets from Each One Teach One Farms.

To join the No Waste Challenge, make a commitment to reduce waste at www.kanuhawaii.org/waste.

Founded in 2007, Kanu Hawai‘i is a nonprofit organization with a mission to encourage and support environmental, economic and social change. Its 14,000 members make individual commitments as simple as I will take shorter showers or I will buy local. To make a commitment and help grow the movement, go to www.kanuhawaii.org.

The money comes through a Rural Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “This grant provides multiple opportunities for Hawaii Island families to save money by using the power of the sun to heat their water, a cost-effective way to manage their utility bills while lessening Hawaii’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. Hawaii’s high energy costs are a burden on many segments of our society and any effort to enhance energy efficiency should be encouraged and supported. I am very pleased that the Obama administration recognizes Hawaii’s role as the clean energy leader and continues to support our efforts with federal investments,” Inouye said.

“I am so pleased that USDA and Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council are helping eligible Hawaii Island families reduce their energy use and install solar water heaters,” Akaka said. “Given the high energy costs in our state, energy efficiency and conservation are important as they help us to do more with less electricity. Solar water heaters are truly a win-win because they save families money and make use of clean energy. Solar water heaters are a great investment, and I encourage businesses and homeowners to look into this cost-saving technology. This program – along with the support and ingenuity of people across Hawaii – will help us continue to move forward as a leader in clean energy.”

“The people of Hawaii pay the highest electricity costs in the country – close to $170 per household per month. I know first-hand how a solar water heater unit can help ease those costs as my family has used one for years in our home on Oahu. This is the type of program that puts people to work installing solar heating units and helps Hawaii families save money, especially our rural communities on Hawaii Island. This also keeps our island state on the path to reaching our goal of becoming energy self-sufficient,” Hirono said.

Chris Kanazawa, USDA Rural Development Hawaii State Director said, “The High Energy Cost Grant Program assists rural residents and businesses in Hawaii to upgrade energy infrastructure and make other energy efficiency improvements. These grants are another example of how USDA Rural Development in Hawaii works to help local rural communities overcome economic obstacles and create opportunity.”

Rural Development funds will be used by this project to decrease the energy consumption of low-income residents and increase their economic self-sufficiency by reducing the proportion of their total income allocated to this need.

This project will assist the low-income residents in Hawaii County to reduce their high utility costs by: 1) providing them with energy conservation education and 2) the installation of energy saving devices.

The devices will be determined upon completion of an individual application, detailed energy audit of the home (where applicable), attendance at an energy education workshop and signed assurances by home owners to comply with program guidelines.

The project will involve the installation of 100 solar water heaters and small scale photovoltaic systems for off-grid homes.

Households at 200 percent or above the poverty level will participate in a cost-sharing arrangement whereby the project will cover 80 percent of the cost and the home owner will pay the remaining 20 percent.

Source: http://www.hawaii247.com/2011/12/05/grant-to-install-solar-water-heaters-for-low-income-families/

In answer to this, the State of Hawaii has put forth a mandate of 70% energy self- sufficiency by 2030. This is a long-term goal; however, there are things businesses can do in the short-term to help themselves out. To learn more, local businesses are encouraged to join their peers, government and community leaders as they come together to discuss energy efficiency partnerships, financing and policies. The meeting is FREE and open to the public, no RSVP is required. Hawaii Convention Center does charge a $5 per exit fee for on-site parking.

WHEN:

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
7:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

WHERE:

Hawaii Convention Center, Emalani Room 320

WHO:

8:45 a.m. - Session 1: Partnerships
Developing innovative energy efficiency approaches
Moderator: Robin Campaniano; General Partner, Ulupono Initiative
• Michael Chang; Deputy Program Manager, Hawaii Energy
• Sean Connelly; Creative Director, KYA Sustainability Studio
• Rob Kinslow; Executive Director, Hawaii Interfaith Power and Light

10:00 a.m. - Session 2: Financing
Turning energy efficiency projects into reality
Moderator: Lori Hiramatsu; Training and Marketing Manager, HEDCO
• Miles Kubo; COO, Energy Industries
• Joseph Burns; Director, O‘ahu Small Business Development Center
• Gwen Yamamoto-Lau; President, Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corporation

11:00 a.m. - Session 3: Policy
Assisting the energy efficiency sector to thrive
Moderator: Carolyn Shon; Energy Program Manager, Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT)
• Senator Mike Gabbard; Chair, Senate Energy and Environment Committee
• Josh Strickler; Chief Researcher, Public Utilities Commission
• Ken Kelley; Senior Project Leader, Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
 

The LEAHI team is constructing an elaborate 8-feet diorama of Santa's workshop and village where the LEGO Miniland residents value a clean energy lifestyle. The Christmas trees adorning the display will be lit with a dazzling array of high-tech LED lights engineered by members of UH's Solar Decathlon Team Hawaii and decorated with recycled incandescent bulb ornaments made by students from schools island-wide. Sunetric is designing a custom, state-of-the-art, solar photovoltaic canopy that will harness the energy of the sun to power the entire display.

Hawaii Energy and Wal-Mart Hawai‘i stores are providing financial support helped make the project possible. The joint project aims to demonstrate that we can rely on clean, renewable, indigenous energy to power our lifestyles.

Residents will have a chance to view "Santa Goes Solar" on the lawn adjacent to Honolulu Hale from Dec. 2 through Dec. 31 during the 2011 Honolulu City Lights event.

The department announced on Friday that Ewa Makai received Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its energy-efficient construction and environmentally friendly design — a step higher than the Silver certification expected.

The middle school is equipped with an air conditioning system that works with day lighting to conserve energy. Contractors were also required to use green materials, include special control for storm water runoff, and test for material emissions before students moved into the building. Its energy efficiency has the potential to save the department up to $22,000 per year in utilities. That's a boon to a department that earlier this year predicted it would cost $1.5 billion to air condition all of Hawaii's public school campuses.

The 175,900-square-foot campus in Ewa Beach cost $64.8 million to build and is one of the first single-structure schools in Hawaii. But more like it are in the planning stage in anticipation of rapid population growth on the west side of Oahu.

Source
By Katherine Poythress 11/18/2011
Katherine Poythress/Civil Beat

Carrotmob is a new way to support local business through consumer purchasing power. The name comes from the idiom “carrot or stick,” and is based on a consumer activism tactic where consumers influence positive changes within a business by spending money (carrot), opposed to a boycott (stick). In a Carrotmob, a large group of people mobs a store, making mass purchases so the business can use the extra revenues generated to implement sustainability-related changes.

Who: A mob of cool, conscious people who love wine, beer, and Hawai’i.
When: Come buy a bottle between 1 and 5 p.m., Saturday, November 19
Where: The Wine Stop Hawaii, 1809 South King Street
Parking: KYA Sustainability Studio, 934 Pumehana Street
News Coverage: KITV - Video
For more information visit: www.carrotmob.org.

Come over and buy some holiday beers and wines to help the Wine Stop take responsible drinking to the next level! For every $20 spent, mobbers will receive tickets for prize giveaways (sponsored by Mobi PCS). Hawaii Energy is donating advanced powerstrips and LEDs for the giveaways. It is one of a number of organizations supporting the event.

KYA Sustainability Studio has chosen to work with their neighbor, The Wine Stop—a Hawaiian, woman owned local business—because of their desire to pursue the sustainable business philosophy that investing in what is right for our community is what is right for business. The Wine Stop has agreed to direct 80% of their sales generated from the Carrotmob to implement a full retrofit of the building’s energy system, to help Hawaii become energy independent. With a mission is to integrate sustainability in all markets through collaborative partnerships, programs, and services, the KYA Sustainability Studio is a Honolulu-based full service innovation firm specializing in sustainability. For more information visit: www.thekyastudio.com

The Carrotmob is a San Francisco based nonprofit that uses consumer activism to reward a business's commitment to making socially responsible changes.
 

Although gas prices declined in some areas of the Islands but went up in others, Hawaii’s statewide average price remains the highest in the nation, AAA Hawaii noted.

The average price of a gallon of unleaded in Honolulu declined 2 cents to $4.06, which was 7 cents lower than a month ago but 69 cents higher than a year ago.

The price of a gallon of unleaded went up by a penny in Hilo to $4.34, which was 3 cents more than a month ago and 78 cents higher than last year.

On Maui, the average price for a gallon of unleaded in Wailuku was $4.43, unchanged from last week, and last month, but 55 cents higher than a year ago.

Source: Pacific Business News  Date: Friday, October 28, 2011, 1:02pm HST

source: Pacific Business News by Duane Shimogawa, Reporter
Date: Thursday, November 3, 2011, 10:52am HST
 

GreenSun Hawaii is using $2.69 million in federal stimulus money to create a "credit enhancement" fund that makes it easier for individuals and businesses to borrow money for such investments. The program reduces interest rates for some borrowers and helps others qualify for loans that lenders might not otherwise approve.

For each loan made by a participating lender, GreenSun will contribute from 4 percent to 14 percent of the loan amount to the lender's loan loss reserve account. In the event of a loan default, the lender will be covered for first losses ranging from 10 percent to 100 percent of the loan amount.

The program is being administered by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corp.

GreenSun is the latest effort by state officials to reduce Hawaii's dependence on oil and bring down energy costs, which are the highest in the nation. The state's goals are laid out in the 2008 Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which calls for generating 70 percent of Hawaii's energy from renewable sources by 2030 and reducing energy usage by 30 percent through efficiency measures.

Initial progress was significant, thanks to tax credits for alternative energy devices like photovoltaic systems, as well as rebates for solar water heaters and compact fluorescent light bulbs. But officials have said they are concerned that further gains could be harder to come by without new programs and marketing efforts to encourage consumers who can't afford the upfront cost of devices like a PV system or solar water heater.

The GreenSun initiative follows a "Hot Water, Cool Rates" program created by Hawaii Energy last year which provides incentives to lenders to reduce interest rates on loans for solar water heaters. Rebates offered by Hawaii Energy are paid for through a surcharge on electric bills.

For more information about GreenSun Hawaii, including loan applications and listings of participating solar contractors and financial institutions, visit www.greensunhawaii.com.

The scorecard compares each state’s energy-efficiency policies in six ways: utility and public benefits programs and policies, transportation policies, building energy codes, combined heat and power, state government initiatives and appliance efficiency standards. Tied with Maine and Colorado, Hawaii scored 26.5 out of a total 50 possible points; a two-point improvement over last year.

“Thanks to the efforts of a number of organizations and individuals, Hawaii has been making significant improvements in adopting energy efficiency over the last few years,” said Ray Starling, Hawaii Energy Program Manager. “In 2009, when the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission awarded SAIC the contract to manage Hawaii Energy, Hawaii ranked 19th and now we are 12th. The report is an important tool to measure our progress in a number of areas and is a good reminder that energy efficiency is an abundant resource that is equally as important as renewable energy in meeting Hawaii clean energy mandates.”

One area where Hawaii really shined was in the amount of electricity the state actually saved. Hawaii ranked third in terms of overall energy savings, and tenth for its energy efficiency program and policies. Conversely, the state scored zero points in the natural gas category because there is no natural gas service for customers. As such, the state was unable to earn the additional four points that were available in the category, which would have helped elevate the state to a top ten ranking overall.

Hawaii’s success in the ACEEE rankings reflects that the state has moved forward on its statutory mandate, the energy efficiency portfolio standard, to achieving 30 percent energy efficiency by 2030. For more information regarding Hawaii Energy’s energy efficiency program and incentives, please visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com.

To view the ACEEE report in its entirety, go to http://aceee.org/research-report/e115.

About Hawaii Energy:
Hawaii Energy is a ratepayer-funded conservation and efficiency program administered by SAIC under contract with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, serving the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. Hawaii Energy offers cash rebates and other incentives to residents and businesses to help offset the cost of installing energy efficient equipment. In addition to rebates, the program conducts education and training for residents, businesses and trade allies to encourage the adoption of energy conservation behaviors and efficiency measures. The program plays an important role in helping to achieve Hawaii’s goal of reducing total electric energy usage by 30 percent or 4.3 billion kWh by 2030. For more information, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com.
 

Starting today, Hawaii Energy will pick up and recycle old working refrigerators or freezers for free and pay cash for eliminating those old units. Oahu households will receive $25, and Maui and Hawaii Island households will get $65. Those old “energy hogs” cost households $380 a year in energy costs on Oahu, $420 on Maui and $490* on Hawaii Island. This offer is coming soon to Molokai and Lanai.

The goal of the Bounty Program is to eliminate old, inefficient refrigerators or freezers. Twenty-year-old refrigerators can use two to three times more electricity than new ENERGY STAR® models.

“Many homes have older refrigerators in their garage using up a lot of electricity. It takes a lot of effort to properly dispose of these appliances, which are costing hundreds of dollars to operate every year,” said Ray Starling, Hawaii Energy Program Manager. “Our Bounty Program makes it easy, and incentivizes electric utility customers to surrender old, but operational refrigerators and freezers to save money, and contribute to reducing Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil. All that people need to do is call us, and we take care of the rest.”

To participate in the Bounty Program, on Oahu call 537-5577, and on Maui and Hawaii Island call toll free 1-877-231-8222. The Bounty Program is offered through June 22, 2012, or as long as funding lasts. Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis to electric utility account holders, with a limit of one refrigerator and one freezer per household. The appliances must be full size (at least 14 cubic feet) and currently in use to qualify. Some restrictions may apply, call for more information.

Additional Hawaii Energy Refrigerator Offers:

Hawaii Energy has two other refrigerator offers. Residents can receive a $50 rebate when they purchase a new ENERGY STAR® refrigerator (with a minimum size of 16 cubic feet and price of $600 or less). Or, if they purchase a new ENERGY STAR refrigerator and recycle the old working refrigerator, residents can get a $125 rebate with Hawaii Energy’s “Trade-up for Cool Cash” offer.

$1 Instant CFL Rebate Program:

Hawaii Energy offers a $1 instant rebate for each compact fluorescent light (CFL) residents purchase at participating retailers. By replacing just ten old-fashioned incandescent bulbs with CFLs, households can save $100 to $140* a year on their electric bill. CFLs use 75 percent less energy to produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs. Switching to CFLs is a quick and easy way to start saving energy and money immediately. Instant rebates for money-saving CFLs are available at City Mill, Costco, Don Quijote, Home Depot, Longs Drugs/CVS, Lowe’s, Safeway, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart.

*Actual savings may vary depending on the electricity rates of each island as of September 2011.

For more information on these and other Hawaii Energy offers, go to www.HawaiiEnergy.com.