Now’s the time to move that old energy-hog refrigerator out of your garage or kitchen. Chelan County PUD is working with JACO Environmental to pick up and recycle old refrigerators and freezers for free. Customers who participate will receive a $30 rebate. The requirements are: 

• The refrigerator or freezer must be clean, empty, defrosted, and in working condition.
• The unit must meet the size requirement which is 10 to 30 cubic feet.
• Customers must have an active electric account with Chelan County Public Utility District at the address where you would like Jaco to pick up the refrigerator/freezer.
• Limit of two (2) units per customer address per calendar year. (If you are recycling one side-by-side refrigerator, it will be considered as one appliance for recycling. It will not be counted as two separate units.)
• An adult, 18 or older, must be present to sign and release the unit at the time of the pickup.
• The unit needs to be plugged in and running on the day of the pickup.
• Appliance must be disconnected from water lines prior to the pickup crew’s arrival.
• Customer must provide clear and safe access to the appliance for the removal team.

Schedule an appointment to have your refrigerator or freezer picked up for recycling here. Customers can also schedule pickup by phone at (877) 577-0510. Questions? Call Jaco at the same number.

Jaco provides an effective way for consumers and utilities to responsibly recycle household appliances, resulting in energy conservation, lower utility bills, and a safer environment.

Gadgets, gizmos and lots of good stuff for your home and garden await you at the KPQ Home and Garden Show, March 8-10 at the Town Toyota Center.

Chelan PUD staff will be on hand with information on new programs including appliance rebates, refrigerator recycling and duct testing and sealing for manufactured homes. Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter and receive your choice of an LED night light or a compact fluorescent light bulb. Interested in paperless billing? We can help with that, too.

More than 150 exhibitors will set up displays inside and outside the center.  Learn the latest in home construction, decor and — of course — energy savings and green living.

WSU Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions, share about the Xeriscape and Community Education gardens, and diagnose problems you may be having in your backyard. Need a pair of gloves or a Day by Day Resource Guide on what to do in your garden when? You can get both at this year’s show. A schedule of seminars and workshops is available here.

Show hours are Friday, March 8, noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 9, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

See you there!

Matthew and Stacy Luckensmeyer's home on Chapel Street in Cashmere is getting a slowly-but-surely upgrade that is saving money on electric bills.

Energy-saving recommendations gradually put into practice at a 1930s-era home are paying off, a Cashmere couple reports.

Energy use at the home of Matthew and Stacy Luckensmeyer, who participated in Chelan PUD’s Reduce Your Use Contest two years ago, is down 25 percent this winter from historic levels. 

The Luckensmeyers removed old insulation from half their attic and replaced it, Stacy reports. “The other half involves having layers and layers of old sawdust insulation vacuumed out, and we’ve budgeted to hire someone else to do that particular job next year,” she said. “Then we will have them blow in new insulation.” 

The Luckensmeyers replaced three windows last fall and purchased three more this winter that they will be installing soon. 

Stacy Luckensmeyer

They replaced exterior doors, liberally applying spray-in insulating foam. And they installed energy-efficient blinds custom-fit to each window. “There is a distinct difference in both the summer and winter” in comfort levels, Stacy said. 

The family also installed a fireplace insert, resulting in significant savings, Stacy said. Traditional fireplaces waste electricity because they suck heated air up and out the chimney.

The Luckensmeyers aren’t done yet. They plan to replace 11 more windows, and are considering ductless heat pumps for air conditioning; they have no air conditioning now.

The Reduce Your Use contest ran from January 1 through March 31, 2011. Nine contestants received home energy analyses and recommendations from PUD experts about how to save energy – from adding insulation and weather-stripping to adjusting their thermostats – as they competed against each other to see who could reduce their energy use by the greatest percentage. Overall savings averaged 19 percent.

Recommendations made then still are applicable now. Find recommendations for contestants – many of which may apply to your own home – on the Reduce Your Use web page.

Can you guess which lighting system uses the least amount of power? The top photo shows the lighting near the pharmacy on the first floor of Wenatchee Valley Medical Center before lighting efficiency improvements were made. The bottom photo  shows the first-floor hallway after the fixtures were outfitted with new fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. The lights in the lower photo use 60 percent less energy than the original lights. Modern lighting technologies can save energy AND provide better light.

All lights in the eastern portion of the building (not including the surgical center), and parking lot lights, have been replaced. Chelan County PUD is paying about half the cost of the lighting improvements through its Resource$mart program.

PUD customers who upgraded to energy-efficient windows during the last three months of 2012 received an average rebate of $890. Rebates are based on square footage; the PUD pays $6 per square foot.

Warmer rooms, fewer drafts, less noise and improved appearance.  Those are among the benefits Chelan PUD customers say they’ve received from installing new windows and adding insulation through the PUD’s weatherization program.

In a recent survey, several customers told us how much they like their new windows,  insulation, and the PUD  program that helped pay for the improvements:

• “The new windows look great and I believe you can feel a difference in the comfort of our home. We are able to lower our thermostat by a degree or two.”
• “I am sure our windows are helping keep out the cold as they do not feel cold when you touch them. Neither do the frames as our old ones did.”
• “Our house is no longer drafty and looks much better.”
• “Wish I had replaced my old double pane metal framed windows earlier.”
• “My house feels warmer with the new vinyl windows (versus the old aluminum ones), and traffic sounds from outside are muffled. Wonderful! The rebate made this improvement possible.”
• “Installing the new windows has made a significantly noticeable difference. My house is so much warmer and the noise from outside is diminished. They brightened up the inside of the house and gave the outside a fresh new look. Thank you so much for the rebate!!! I would not have been able to afford it without your incentive.”
• “Wish I had replaced my old double pane metal framed windows earlier. Much warmer and heat from the sun doesn’t come in. On a fixed income the rebate made it affordable.”

Through 2013, we’re offering incentives of $6 per square foot of installed energy-efficient windows and 50 cents per square foot of added insulation. Learn how you can take advantage of our rebate program on our website here.