This image provided by Samsung Electronics Co. shows its washer and dryer. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday that it has struck a deal with Enel, Italy’s largest power utility, to provide free electricity to customers who buy the company’s washing machines — the latest in a series of energy-saving partnerships the tech conglomerate is rolling out across major global markets.
Beginning Tuesday in Europe, Italian customers who purchase a Samsung washer and connect it to SmartThings, the company’s A.I.-powered home platform, will receive as much as 180 kilowatt-hours of free electricity over two years. Samsung said the allowance roughly matches the energy required to operate one of its highly efficient, A-rated washing machines during that period.
The collaboration underscores how appliance makers and utilities across Europe are experimenting with incentives to promote more efficient energy use amid rising household electricity costs and heightened pressure to reduce carbon emissions.
Samsung has been steadily expanding similar programs elsewhere. In Britain, the company recently partnered with British Gas to introduce the “Samsung Weekend Saver Fix” tariff, which offers half-price electricity during daytime hours on weekends for buyers of Samsung appliances.
In the Netherlands, a program launched in June with the retailer and utility provider Coolblue offers customers opportunities to offset their electricity bills. And in the United States, Samsung has teamed with Leap Energy on the Flex Connect program, which allows users in California, New York and Texas to automate energy savings and collect Samsung Rewards through SmartThings.
Samsung said the initiatives are part of a broader push to link appliances, utility services and A.I.-driven energy management tools — a strategy the company argues can help consumers cut costs while easing strain on power grids.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
