Refrigerator rebate scheme begins Daily Graphic Pg 20

A nationwide roll out of the refrigerator rebate and exchange scheme to dispose of old and used refrigerators that are destructive to the environment has begun.
Under the scheme, users of old but working fridges and freezers are encourage to tender them in to participatory shops for rebates to buy new and environmentally responsive ones.
The initiative, funded by the government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is also to ensure that the environment is protected from ozone depleting materials. 
New refrigerating appliances under the scheme could be purchased from GH180 to GH800 after the discount is applied.
Refrigerators marked 2-Stars will attract a discount of GH150, while those with 3-Stars and above will have a discount of GH200.
At a news conference in Accra to launch the programme, the Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Dr Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, said prices under the scheme had been reduced for a limited period.
He explained that an efficient household refrigerator would consume less than 500kWh per year and, as such, reduce annual electricity bill.
The target set for selling 50,000 refrigerators in three years, he noted, could save an estimated 35 million units of electricity, adding that that would also reduce national power consumption.
The pilot programme for the scheme started in Accra on September 19, 2012 and has received 2,100 refrigerators for exchange from the two participatory shops —  Appliance Masters and Somovision. 
Two shops — ROWI Electronics and Melcom — have been added to the participatory shops for the nationwide roll out.
Dr Ahenkorah  said other shops would be going through the process for inclusion on the scheme as time went on.
He urged participatory shops to fully comply with the labelling requirement and carry the stickers on all the refrigerators they offered for sale.
He said the scheme was expected to follow the success story of the energy saving light bulbs which helped to save energy cost of more than $33 million per annum.
He said old refrigerators would be sent to the City Waste Company Limited which had imported specialised equipment for the disposal of the fridges.
“These refrigerants are 2,400 times more destructive than carbon dioxide emissions and also the major cause of ozone layer depletions,” he said.
He added that discussions were also ongoing between the commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Scrap Dealers Association on how to deal with the scrapping of refrigerators to avoid the burning of cables.