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BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whirlpool
Corporation (NYSE: WHR), the global leader in home appliances, offers the
greatest number of energy-efficient appliances in the industry, providing
consumers with more ENERGY STAR(R) qualified appliances than any other company
through its leading portfolio of consumer brands, including Whirlpool, Maytag,
Amana, Jenn-Air and KitchenAid.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040202/DETU004LOGO )
Following recent news that French Door Bottom-Mount refrigerators made by
other manufacturers have been found to consume far more energy than their
reported energy ratings, Whirlpool wants to reassure consumers that all of its
French Door Bottom-Mount refrigerators - sold under the Whirlpool, Maytag,
KitchenAid and Amana brands - have legitimately earned the ENERGY STAR
credential by rigorously following the required energy testing procedures.
Whirlpool is proud to offer a variety of the popular French Door Bottom-
Mount style refrigerators with sought-after features like through-the-door ice
and water and space-saving counter depth configurations. "We want consumers to
know that when they purchase French Door Bottom-Mount refrigerators - and all
ENERGY STAR qualified appliances by Whirlpool - they can do so with the
confidence that they will deliver energy savings as communicated in-store, on
the product and in the product literature," said Phil Pejovich, vice president
refrigeration, Whirlpool North America. "Properly followed, the current energy
testing procedures result in refrigerator energy consumption ratings that
consumers can expect to see in their homes under normal use."
The company notes that the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
(AHAM) - which represents the appliance industry - has on two separate
occasions worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to put an end to
incorrect applications of the test procedure, providing explicit guidance on
the proper application of the procedure to the newest French Door Bottom-Mount
products.
"Consumers who proactively seek ENERGY STAR qualified products are being
deprived of the opportunity to effectively comparison shop based on energy
consumption, not because of a problem with the test procedure, but by the
failure of some manufacturers to follow it," said Pejovich.
"We also are concerned for companies that purchase products from these
manufacturers and re-sell them under their own brand names. They may be
unwittingly depriving consumers of the energy savings and environmental
benefits they expect of genuine ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators."
Whirlpool Corporation asserts that all of its ENERGY STAR qualified products
are in full compliance with ENERGY STAR requirements.
About Whirlpool Corporation and ENERGY STAR
A long-time supporter of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ENERGY STAR
energy-efficiency program, Whirlpool Corporation played a leading role in
setting the ENERGY STAR program standards, and has won 21 ENERGY STAR awards
since 1998 - three times as many as any other winner.
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of
major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion, 73,000
employees, and 72 manufacturing and technology research centers around the
world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana,
Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly
every country around the world. Additional information about the company can
be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com .
SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation
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