Second hand dealers in refrigerators have kicked against a new government policy which allows for users of used refrigerators to return them in exchange for an amount of money to buy an energy efficient one. The Energy Commission in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency is set to roll out this new policy in June 2010 as part of an energy efficient campaign. It will be preceded by a ban on all gadgets which emit gases harmful to the environment. But some dealers of used refrigerators in an interview with Joy News’ Evans Mensah said they are not prepared to return their old refrigerators for new ones. According to them, the used ones are more durable than the ones government intends to distribute to users. “I prefer using the old ones than the new ones they want me to go and buy. That one is mass production from Germany and Holland. They are not durable,” one of them said. They also raised concerns about the cost of brand new refrigerators which they said was too expensive as compared to the used ones. They are also not convinced government will be able to foot the cost of the policy. But head of the Energy Commission, Alfred Ofosu Ahinkora, said the new policy is in the interest of the users and has called for more education on the new policy. He argued, users of the old refrigerators are forced to pay exorbitant tariffs because of its energy consumption rate. According to him, the average amount of electricity used by refrigerators in Ghana is over 1000 kilowatts of energy a year, which is twice the energy consumption level in Europe, adding the second-hand refrigerators are not designed to be used in the tropics. He further argued the world will at the end of this year not manufacture Freon-12, the gas which runs the second refrigerators, because of its unfavorable environmental effects. “Chances are that if your fridge breaks down or the gas in it leaks, you will not find it,” he added. Explaining the full details of the policy, Mr Ahinkora said users after being paid monies for the return of their fridges will get extra cash, depending on the category of energy efficient fridges they buy. The commission, he said is still conducting a research to find out the appropriate amount to be paid when the second hand refrigerators are returned. Listen to the concerns of the second dealers and the views of Mr. Ahinkora in the attached audio. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana