"Partners like Whirlpool exemplify the success of ENERGY STAR"
Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have named Whirlpool Corporation as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by making and promoting energy-efficient products. Whirlpool Corporation's accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington on March 2.

Whirlpool, a partner in the program since 1998, is being honored for its leadership in manufacturing and promoting products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the mark of environmental protection through energy efficiency. This is the fifth Partner of the Year award won by the company since 1999.

By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified products, the typical household can save up to 30 percent on its energy bills, or about $400 a year. In 2002 alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy to power 15 million homes and reduce air pollution equivalent to that of 15 million cars -- all while saving consumers $7 billion.

Among the reasons cited in naming Whirlpool Partner of the Year were the company's efforts in revising dishwasher test procedures and the work of a former Whirlpool director, the late Mike Thompson, in finalizing those procedures. The EPA posthumously awarded last year the first Michael C. Thompson Award to Thompson's wife, Susan, to be given annually in recognition of an individual's efforts on behalf of ENERGY STAR. Also cited was Whirlpool's voluntary pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"Whirlpool Corporation is delighted to once again be named an ENERGY STAR partner," said David L. Swift, the company's executive vice president for North America. "We succeed as a company by being able to offer our customers a broad range of appliances under a number of brands, many of which are ENERGY STAR qualified. These appliances save money for our customers by lowering their utility bills and help protect the environment. ENERGY STAR is a win- win."

The Partner of the Year Award is given to manufacturers and retailers that successfully promote and deliver ENERGY STAR qualified products, saving consumers money and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

"Partners like Whirlpool exemplify the success of ENERGY STAR," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "By offering the latest and greatest products that are also energy efficient, the consumer wins and so does the environment. Whirlpool Corporation's products show that you really can have it all -- features and energy savings."