Sears Encourages Americans to Toss Their 'Energy Hog' Appliances, Replace Them with Energy Star®

Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S), the nation's largest home appliance retailer, is encouraging Americans to toss their old, energy inefficient appliances and replace them with highly efficient, Energy Star-rated products. It's all part of "Energy Month" -- an educational campaign being held at Sears stores nationwide in October.

The campaign kicked off last night with an appearance by the Sears Toss Your Energy Hog Catapult Team on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." During the show, used, energy-inefficient appliances were hurled more than 30 yards across NBC's backlot. The energy hog appliances were launched more than 70 feet into the air and landed in a pile of scrap metal, to be recycled.

"There are more than 33 million 'energy hog' refrigerators in the United States," said Dan Laughlin, senior vice president, Sears, Roebuck and Co. "They are sitting in garages, basements and utility rooms across the country. If all 33 million were replaced with Energy Star products, we would save enough energy to light every household in Los Angeles for eight years."

  Throughout the year, Sears promotes energy-efficiency in many ways:
  -- Only Sears sells the top six brands of appliances:  Amana,
     Frigidaire, G.E., Kenmore, Maytag and Whirlpool.
  -- Sears promotes products that carry the Energy Star label in its weekly
     newspaper ads that reach 50 million consumers and aggressively promotes
     the use of energy-efficient appliances in its television ads.
  -- Sears develops industry-leading energy-efficient appliances like the
     Kenmore Elite HE3t® washer, the Kenmore Elite Trio™ refrigerator
     and a new line of Energy Star-rated dishwashers.
  -- Sears offers rebates on energy-efficient appliances, in addition to
     rebates offered by state governments and utilities.

  Sears also conducts regional events with local utility companies, such as:
  -- "Keep Cool with ENERGY STAR Sweepstakes" with the New York State Energy
     and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA).  The sweepstakes enabled
     shoppers at the Brooklyn, N.Y. store to win $3,000 worth of energy-
     efficient appliances.
  -- Green Homes Chicago -- Sears donated more than $15,000 worth of energy-
     efficient appliances and HVAC equipment to the City of Chicago's "Green
     Homes" initiative, five new affordable, environmentally-friendly and
     energy-efficient homes constructed in the Englewood and Hermosa
     neighborhoods of Chicago.  Because the homes are energy-efficient, they
     are both more affordable to purchase and maintain.

Consumers can learn more about energy-efficiency at the special section on Energy Star on www.sears.com .

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a broadline retailer with significant service and credit businesses. In 2002, the company's revenue was $41.4 billion. The company offers its wide range of apparel, home and automotive products and services to families in the U.S. through Sears stores nationwide, including approximately 870 full-line stores. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through its Web sites, sears.com and landsend.com, and a variety of specialty catalogs.

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

CONTACT: Larry Costello, Sears PR, +1-847-286-9036, lcoste5@sears.com ,
or Marlene Tsareff, +1-317-769-7601, both of Sears

Web site: http://www.sears.com/