Hilo residents can trade old refrigerators for discounted ENERGY STAR models
Hilo households can buy a new ENERGY STAR fridge or freezer for as little as $250, while an old second unit may waste about $86 a month in electricity.
A Hilo household still running an old refrigerator or freezer could cut both the upfront purchase price and the electric bill by trading it in for a newer ENERGY STAR model. Hawaii Energy is offering replacement units for as little as $250, more than 65% below retail, and says an older second refrigerator or freezer can waste as much as $1,036 a year, or about $86 a month, depending on age and size.
The trade-up offer is limited to residents in ZIP code 96720 and is being handled on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts. Applications opened June 15 and close July 24, and residents who qualify can choose one of three appliances: a 17.5-cubic-foot refrigerator, a 21-cubic-foot refrigerator or a 17.3-cubic-foot freezer. Hawaii Energy says it is also covering logistics and incidental charges for the program.
Delivery of the new appliance and collection of the old one are expected between July 1 and Dec. 30, and processing may take 10 to 14 weeks. The appliance exchange day is scheduled for Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Island Movers warehouse, 612 Kalanianaole Street in Hilo.
Hawaii Energy is tying the Hilo rollout to Hui Ohana o Ka Umeke Kāeo, the parent and community organization that supports Ka Umeke Kāeo, the Hawaiian-language immersion public charter school in Hilo. The partnership links the rebate program to a local institution already rooted in education and family support, with the energy-efficiency offer framed as part of Hawaii Energy’s broader affordability efforts.
The savings case is not abstract. ENERGY STAR says certified refrigerators are about 9% more energy efficient than models that meet the federal minimum standard, and it says larger refrigerators generally use more electricity, with top-freezer models typically consuming the least. Hawaii Energy says its appliance trade-up program has already helped more than 1,200 households statewide since 2022 and produced more than 8 million kilowatt-hours in projected lifetime energy savings, giving the Hilo program a track record as families across Hawaii Island continue to face some of the state’s highest energy costs.
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