Council Likely Will Approve Program to Help Residents Acquire Energy Efficient Refrigerators

Pasadena’s City Council is expected Monday to approve a contract with Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA), Inc. to support implementation and customer support services for Pasadena Water and Power’s refrigerator exchange and refrigerator/freezer recycling programs.

Through these programs, PWP can help low-income customers acquire energy-efficient refrigerators and freezers at no cost, by turning in their old functioning appliances and having them replaced with new ones. ARCA would then collect the used refrigerators or freezers, and, following environmentally sound protocols, remove, recycle or eliminate chlorofluorocarbons found in refrigerants and foam insulation to prevent their release Into the atmosphere.

An agenda report prepared by PWP for the City Council’s meeting by video-conference on Monday said the procurement, delivery and recycling services contract would cost up to $750,000, at $300,000 per year for two years, with three optional one-year extensions at $150,000.

PWP’s no-cost refrigerator exchange program is for low-income customers enrolled in the utility’s Electric Utility Assistance Programs (EUAP).

The free refrigerator exchange program is designed to help qualified customers replace their old refrigerator with a newer and more efficient Energy Star model, resulting in reduced energy usage and lower utility bills.

On the other hand, PWP’s refrigerator recycling and freezer recycling program is open to any of the utility’s residential and commercial electric customers.

For the refrigerator exchange program, PWP staff will be responsible for the application process and will review customer eligibility, before providing ARCA with the list of qualified customers twice a month.

In the refrigerator or freezer recycling program, customers may call a toll-free number or go online to request a pickup.

Under the proposed contract, ARCA will be responsible for various logistical services in support of both programs. These services include warehousing, delivery, and installation of new refrigerator units; removal and disabling of displaced and spare refrigerators or freezers; scheduling and confirming appointments and other services necessary for the delivery, setup and installation of appliances; and preparing periodic inventory tracking and progress reports to property monitor the effectiveness of these services.

PWP is recommending a maximum five-year contract with ARCA. The company is currently under contract with the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) through January 2023, with the option to extend an additional three years if requested by a member utility such as PWP, the report said.

ARCA has no current or past contracts with Pasadena, although the company has been providing PWP with refrigerator exchange and refrigerator/freezer recycling services for the past 15 plus years through the SCPPA procurement.

To learn more about PWP’s programs for low-income customers, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/water-and-power/low-income.