It Takes Fewer Dollars to Keep Summer Treats Cold With Ameren Illinois Utilities Refrigerator/Freezer Tips
July 22 2009 - 2:35PM
PR Newswire (US)
Your Parents were Right: Close the Door! PEORIA, Ill., July 22
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- From fresh ice cold watermelon to
chocolate ice cream, Illinoisans rely on refrigerators and freezers
for those tasty treats that make Midwestern summers special while
tips from the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO,
AmerenIP) help reduce energy bills. For many Ameren Illinois
Utilities (AIU) electric customers, savings can begin with just one
phone call. AIU will pay an electric customer $35 for a standard
size refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1993. The
appliance must be operating and used as a secondary unit located in
a garage or basement. "Those old refrigerators and freezers out in
garages and down in basements waste a lot of energy," said Karen
Warnke, Ameren Illinois Utilities Customer Service energy
efficiency advisor. "A standard size secondary refrigerator might
cost $100 or more a year to operate." Eligible Ameren Illinois
Utilities electric customers should call 1-866-899-9088 to schedule
a pickup of their refrigerator or freezer. The call center is open
Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The refrigerator and freezer program is
part of Act On Energy , the AIU energy efficiency initiative for
residential and business customers. Complete information, including
energy conservation tips, are available at ActOnEnergy.com. Close
the door Getting the most out of a refrigerator or freezer begins
with sound advice most people heard from their parents - close the
door. Minimizing the amount of time a refrigerator or freezer door
is open keeps cold air in which lowers energy costs. Other tips
include: -- Keep refrigerators at 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit and
freezers at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for maximum performance and food
safety. -- Make certain there are a few inches between the back of
the refrigerator or freezer and the wall to allow for proper air
circulation. -- Replace door seals that are not airtight. -- Avoid
placing refrigerators and freezers near heat sources such as
ranges, dishwaters, direct sunlight and heat vents. -- Manual
defrost freezers should be defrosted when ice builds up to
one-quarter of an inch. Always buy ENERGY STAR When buying a new
refrigerator or freezer, select a model that is ENERGY STAR
qualified for maximum energy efficiency and the features you need.
Other tips include: -- Refrigerators with a top-mounted freezers
use 10 to 25 percent less energy than side-by-side and bottom-mount
freezer models. -- Typically, the most energy efficient
refrigerators have 16 to 20 cubic feet of space. In most cases,
larger freezers use more energy than smaller models. -- Automatic
ice makers and through-the-door water/ice dispensers will increase
energy use by as much as 20 percent, while adding up to $250 to the
purchase price. -- Consider buying a chest freezer, which typically
use less energy than an upright model. -- Manual defrost freezers
use about 50 percent less energy than automatic defrost units. The
Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) have
been providing safe, reliable energy delivery service for more than
a century. The Ameren Illinois Utilities deliver energy to 1.2
million electric and 840,000 natural gas customers in more than
1,200 communities within a 43,700-square-mile service territory.
DATASOURCE: Ameren Illinois Utilities CONTACT: Victoria Busch,
+1-618-346-1286, or Leigh Morris, +1-217-535-5228, both of Ameren
Illinois Utilities Web Site: http://www.ameren.com/
http://www.actonenergy.com/
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