"Thanks to the thousands of private and public sector organizations who have worked together with us to establish the ENERGY STAR brand over the years, Americans have the ability to make smart energy choices"
Spencer Abraham, US Secretary of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored winners of the 2004 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year at an award ceremony in Washington DC last night. Rent to Own industry suppliers Maytag, GE, and Whirlpool were among the winners of this years awards.

"Thanks to the thousands of private and public sector organizations who have worked together with us to establish the ENERGY STAR brand over the years, Americans have the ability to make smart energy choices, helping the nation achieve our goal of advancing new, cleaner energy technologies," Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said.

General Electric received the 2004 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Product Manufacturers
General Electric Consumer Products (GE) was a leading manufacturer of ENERGY STAR qualifying products in 2003. GE invested in new qualified products, increasing the percentage of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances in its dishwasher, washer, dehumidifier, and room air-conditioner product lines, as well as increasing the sales of their qualified compact fluorescent light bulb lines to over 95 percent. In addition, GE participated in many promotional events sponsored by local and regional efficiency programs, launched the interactive Innovation tour to educate consumers, and participated in nationally coordinated ENERGY STAR campaigns. GE also became a charter member in the Weatherization refrigerator replacement program and established its own recycling program to properly dispose of old appliances.

Whirlpool Corporation received the 2004 ENERGY STAR Appliance Partner of the Year award
In 2003, Whirlpool Corporation, the world's leading appliance manufacturer and marketer, once again manufactured the largest number of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, with 352 base models in its inventory under the brand names of Whirlpool, Kenmore, and Kitchen Aid, among others. Whirlpool introduced 126 newly qualified models, including 98 refrigerators that meet the new 2004 ENERGY STAR specifications. The company actively promoted ENERGY STAR in print, radio, television, and direct mail advertising, and it coordinated communications efforts directly with its trade partners. Whirlpool also assisted low-income homeowners in achieving better energy efficiency through its work with Habitat for Humanity and many state Weatherization refrigerator replacement programs.

Maytag Corporation: Appliance Campaign received the 2004 National Product Campaign Award
From April to July 2003, Maytag Corporation was one of the leading participants in the DOE-sponsored National ENERGY STAR Appliance Promotion. Maytag made it possible for consumers to save $100 or more on qualified clothes washers during the "Double Your Savings" Campaign. In addition, Maytag initiated its own national "Star Performer" promotion on all ENERGY STAR qualified Maytag Neptune washers. The company heavily promoted this offer and Maytag's efforts are expected to result in annual energy savings of nearly 8.9 million kWh, enough energy to light every house in Washington, DC for 11 days. In addition, Maytag began an educational effort to teach elementary school children about the relationship between energy efficiency and the environment. In 2003, Maytag increased its number of ENERGY STAR qualified residential washer models by 250 percent. And its shipments of qualified commercial clothes washer models increased dramatically in this under-served market.