Receive $35 Now, Save $100 in a Year

PEORIA, Ill., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Illinois Utilities electric customers can receive $35 now and save on electricity bills in the months to come by turning off and turning in their old, inefficient secondary refrigerator or freezer through a new Ameren Illinois Utilities program.

'The old refrigerators and freezers that are being used in garages and basements waste large amounts of energy,' said Karen Warnke, Ameren Illinois Utilities Customer Service business consultant. 'A standard size secondary refrigerator might cost $100 or more a year to operate.

'In addition, this program will benefit the environment. By recycling these refrigerators, the demand for electricity can be reduced. When less electricity is generated, fewer greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere,' Warnke said.

Electric customers must first determine if they are eligible for the program. The refrigerator or freezer must be operating as a secondary unit located in a garage or basement. Also, the unit must be of standard size and manufactured before 1993.

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.

This program is offered on a first come basis until funds for the first program year are exhausted. The program year ends on May 31, 2009. Additional funds will be available beginning June 1, 2009, running through May 31, 2010.

The refrigerator and freezer program is part of the Ameren Illinois Utilities electric energy efficiency initiative, which also is offering residential electric customers the opportunity to purchase high-efficiency compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) at sharply discounted prices. There also are special energy efficiency incentive programs for business customers. Complete information, including energy conservation tips, are available on the new Act On Energy Web site (http://www.actonenergy.net).

'We created the Act On Energy Web site to provide the most current information about our electric energy efficiency programs and to help our residential and business customers spend less on energy by using less,' Warnke said.

The Ameren Illinois Utilities provide energy delivery service to 1.2 million electric and more than 840,000 natural gas customers in a 43,700- square-mile area of Illinois.

SOURCE Ameren Illinois Utilities