Sears and GE Get Connected

Press release:

18 October 2012

Sears and GE Get Connected

 

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• Sears first to offer GE’s Brillion™ Connected Home Solutions
• GE Brillion products enable consumers to control over 60 percent of household energy use
• GE GeoSpring™ Hybrid Water Heater can now be remotely monitored and controlled via GE’s “Get Connected Starter Kit”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — October 18, 2012 — (NYSE:GE) — Sears will be the first retailer to offer GE’s innovative Brillion™-enabled products that will give consumers easy control over 60 percent of their home’s energy usage for exceptional savings, convenience and peace of mind—and it can all be done remotely via the GE Nucleus™ Home Manager’s iPhone® app.

Starting today, over 100 Sears stores in the Northeast will offer the GE Get Connected Starter Kit, plus the GE programmable thermostat and GE’s award-winning GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater, all with Brillion technology, in one location.

“Sears can now offer shoppers in these markets unprecedented insight into and control over their home energy use by getting connected with GE Brillion products, said Steven Haber, president of appliances and SVP at Sears Holdings. “This makes it easy and compelling for our customers to save money on their energy bills and is an excellent example of how Sears is committed to offering products to our customers that improve their lifestyle and help them save money in the process.”

The Get Connected Starter Kit includes the GE Nucleus Home Manager that gives consumers visibility into their household energy use and the GE Appliance Communication Module that will enable remote control of GE’s Brillion-enabled appliances. These devices will allow consumers to receive text or email alerts, enable remote-control capability and track each appliance’s energy usage.

The GE programmable thermostat with Brillion technology also offers greater convenience and energy control with programmable scheduling functionality from your desktop computer and remote access from an iPhone. The first GE appliance to work with the Get Connected Starter Kit is the GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater.

The GeoSpring hybrid technology saves 62 percent more energy over a traditional electric water heater which creates an annual savings of about $325.* Now, the GeoSpring can do more than save money, it can be controlled remotely and can send you messages, like maintenance alerts, when needed. Other compatible appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and refrigerators will be added to the Brillion-enabled suite of appliances in the coming months.

“We are thrilled that Sears is the first retailer to offer our GE and Brillion-enabled products,” said Dave McCalpin, GE Appliances manager of home energy management. “Providing a connected solution that allows consumers to take control of their home and gain insight, convenience and peace of mind to help them live more productive lives while saving money, will offer shoppers a unique solution that they can only get at Sears.”

About GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heaters:

Technology that drives energy and cost savingsThe GeoSpring’s hybrid technology is designed to absorb heat in ambient air and transfer it into the water. Since moving heat uses much less energy than what’s needed to generate radiant heat—as used in a conventional electric tank water heater—the GeoSpring is more economical to operate.

Other features of the GeoSpring:

• Includes same water and electrical connections as the standard electric water heater, making it easy to install.
• Provides the same amount of hot water as traditional 50-gallon standard electric water heaters.
• Integrated electronics on the GeoSpring’s control panel offer exclusive features, such as Vacation mode, which will lower the water temperature to 50 degrees for the duration of a trip and then automatically re-energize itself the day before the homeowner’s return.
• Offers additional control over water temperature by allowing consumers to adjust the temperature setting in one-degree increments from 100 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now save more than your energy costs with a rebateTo see if you are eligible for a rebate, please visit GE Appliances’ newRebate Finder, which easily allows consumers to see rebates by appliance model that may be available in their area. From GEAppliances.com, simply enter your zip code and select Water Heaters in the product field to view rebate details and submit.**

Pricing and availabilityAssembly of the new GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heaters started in February in Louisville, Ky. For more information on features and availability, visitwww.GEAppliances.com/GeoSpring. The estimated retail price for GeoSpring is $1,199-$1,299.*** To purchase a GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater, go to www.sears.com and type “GE GeoSpring Hybrid” in the search box.

About GE AppliancesGE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of SHOP YOUR WAY, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through ShopYourWay.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,000 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes over 810 Full-line and more than 1,270 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 11 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

*Based on DOE test procedure and comparison of a 50-gallon standard electric tank water heater using 4879 kWh every year vs. the GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater using 1830 kWh every year.** Rebate application must be submitted within 30 days of equipment installation. One rebate per qualifying metered, residential customer on qualifying installations.***Dealers set their own prices.