Your old window air conditioner that sounds like a jet taking off, uses a ton of electricity and can barely cool a broom closet could be worth $30 under a program operated by the state’s utilities.

The utility program called NHSaves will be holding one of its regular turn-in programs in Concord on Saturday to accept old air conditioners and dehumidifiers in return for a $30 coupon that gets mailed later, with no restriction on its use.

“Older appliances use far more energy, so people are lowering their bills and their environmental impact by doing this,” said Amanda Vicinanzo, manager of external affairs for Unitil, one of the four utilities operating in the state who make up NHSaves.

The program has collected 9,443 units since it began in New Hampshire in 2022, Vicinanzo said, including more than 1,200 collected at two events in Concord last year.

The air conditioners and dehumidifiers are taken by Eco Plus, a Massachusetts recycling company, which takes them apart to save copper, steel and aluminum components and dispose of plastic and the fluids used to cool and dehumidify air. Those fluids can be major contributors to climate change unless properly handled.

The turn-in program is one of many designed to urge people to swap older devices with more efficient ones as a method of curtailing energy demand. Programs are funded either by private utilities or by local, state or federal governments through tax breaks or subsidies. They usually target appliances in the home like refrigerators and water heaters.

Utilities are particularly interested in getting people to upgrade air conditioners because those are most likely to run during hours of peak demand, such as hot summer afternoons, when the grid strains to get enough power to everybody at once. Trimming that demand by just a tiny amount can make a big difference.

Saturday’s event is at the Home Depot on 42 D’Amante Drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Similar programs happen roughly once a week throughout the state. One happened in Tilton in May and will return to Concord in October.

To participate, fill out an online rebate form at nhsaves.com/events/#turn-in-events in advance.

David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com.