DALLAS - Service Experts, one of many companies involved in Earth Day 2008 programs, will install a free programmable thermostat and remove and recycle the old thermostat in every United States and Canadian household that schedules a heating or cooling system tuneup during the month of April.

According to the company, its overall program will have the same environmental effect as planting 330 trees for every single homeowner who makes one small household change.

Lennox is providing the thermostats for this campaign. The manufacturer estimates up to 75 percent of North American homes do not have programmable thermostats, and that most homes between 15 and 25 years old still use the original mercury-based models, which are toxic if not disposed of properly. As part of the Earth Day efforts, Service Experts will also be accepting all mercury-based thermostats and dispose of them properly, even if a homeowner doesn’t schedule a system tuneup.

“Replacing an old mercury-based thermostat with a programmable thermostat, along with scheduling an air conditioning system tuneup, are easy ways for anyone to make a positive impact on the environment,” said Ian McKeen, vice president of marketing for Service Experts.

“With our goal of replacing 10,000 thermostats in this Earth Day promotion, along with regular tuneups, United States and Canadian consumers can reduce carbon emissions by nearly 40,000 metric tons each year - the energy equivalent of taking 7,000 cars off the road for a full year.”

For more information, visit www.serviceexperts.com.

Publication date: 04/28/2008