MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xcel customers with old, secondary refrigerators now have two reasons to recycle them - and both of them involve cash incentives. The state of Minnesota will begin offering an appliance rebate program in March of 2010 which offers a $200 rebate on ENERGY STAR® qualifying refrigerators. Old refrigerators must be properly recycled in order to receive the state's rebate. The program complements Xcel Energy's new Refrigerator Recycling Program, administered through Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. It offers free pick up of old, operational refrigerators, a Proof of Recycling Certificate and a $35 rebate. This program also requires proper recycling of the appliance and makes the resident automatically eligible for the state's program. "Our goal is to improve energy efficiency in our service territory and make it really easy for customers to get rid of their old appliances," says Kelsey Burich, Program Manager, Xcel Energy. "The cheapest energy out there is the energy we don't have to produce. Using less helps all of us lower our bills and put money back in our pockets." With Xcel Energy's Refrigerator Recycling Program, over 95% of the appliance is properly destroyed and recycled, keeping it out of a landfill. The $35 recycling incentive is automatically mailed to the customer within three to four weeks after pick up. The program is scheduled to run until December 31, 2010. For more information or to schedule a pick up, please visit http://www.responsiblebynature.com/fridge or call 800.599.5795 About Xcel Energy Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company that provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies in eight Western and Midwestern states. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at xcelenergy.com. About ARCA ARCA (http://www.arcainc.com/), one of the nation's largest recyclers of major household appliances for the energy conservation programs of electric utilities, currently provides services for 150 utility programs in the U.S. and Canada. Toxic chemicals and environmentally harmful materials such as ozone-depleting refrigerants, PCBs, mercury and oil are carefully recovered in the appliance decommissioning process for destruction or disposal, preventing them from contaminating soil, air and water resources. DATASOURCE: Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. CONTACT: Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc., +1-952-930-9000, or Xcel Energy, Web Site: http://www.arcainc.com/ http://www.responsiblebynature.com/fridge http://xcelenergy.com/

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