DETROIT, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy is offering to pay customers $40 to recycle their old refrigerators and freezers, as part of the company's Appliance Recycling Program.

DTE Energy has a program to pick up and recycle old refrigerators and freezers. If a consumer buys a new refrigerator or freezer after July 26 at a participating Sears store, they can select a convenient time for a crew to deliver the new unit to their home, and haul away the old unit, free of charge. Replacing an old inefficient refrigerator or freezer can save customers as much as $150 a year on energy costs.

"This is a great way to immediately start saving money on your household energy use," said Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president marketing and renewables. "We make it easy for you to recycle. We provide the heavy lifting and we pay a reward to you just for participating."

The program, which is part of the Your Energy Savings initiative at DTE Energy, has recycled 35,000 older refrigerators and freezers since it began in 2009. All of the recycled collected appliances are taken apart at a recycling plant in Livonia, operated by JACO Environmental. Ninety five percent of the materials in the refrigerators are recycled, and various hazardous materials properly handled.

DTE Energy's Your Energy Savings program provides customers with energy-saving strategies to lower their energy use.

Southfield resident Jacquelyn Cook decided to take advantage of the program and is having her decades-old second refrigerator removed by DTE Energy.

Cook has been using a refrigerator she got 10 years ago from a friend as a second unit to store food for special occasions such as Christmas holidays or large family gatherings she hosts. But things are changing for her.

Last spring, her daughter purchased a home nearby and agreed to host the larger family gatherings. Cook no longer needs a second refrigerator and is now looking forward to saving electricity and reducing her energy bill through the DTE Energy recycling program.

For more information about how to schedule a pickup for your old refrigerator or freezer, please call 866-796-0512 or log onto YourEnergySavings.com. The program is limited to the removal of two units per household. Appliances must be in working condition with an inside measurement of 10 cubic feet or more to qualify.

Program participants will receive their $40 reward by mail in 4-6 weeks.

"Whether you're buying a newer, more energy efficient replacement fridge, or having an older unit picked up, this program can help you save money," said Michael Dunham, director of Energy and Environmental Programs at JACO Environmental.

DTE Energy encourages customers who have secondary refrigerators and freezers in garages, basements or back porches to have them picked up for recycling.

DTE Energy (NYSE: [ DTE ]) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan and other non-utility, energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, coal and gas midstream, unconventional gas production and energy trading. Information about DTE Energy is available at [ dteenergy.com ] and at [ twitter.com/dte_energy ].

SOURCE DTE Energy

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DTE Energy Recycles 35,000th Refrigerator as Part of a Home Energy Efficiency Program That Pays Customers $40 Reward

DTE Energy Recycles 35,000th Refrigerator as Part of a Home Energy Efficiency Program That Pays Customers $40 Reward