Whirlpool Corporation , the global leader in home appliances, offers the greatest number of energy-efficient appliances in the industry, providing consumers with more ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances than any other company through its leading portfolio of consumer brands, including Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air and KitchenAid.

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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/ .

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: angela_m_hersil@whirlpool.com

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SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation