If you manage a portfolio of older properties, there’s a reasonable chance mercury thermostats are still installed somewhere in your inventory. Any thermostat manufactured before 2006 likely contains liquid mercury — and a single unit contains roughly 3 grams, enough to contaminate a 20-acre lake.

That’s not an abstract environmental statistic. Improperly discarded mercury thermostats leach into soil and water, and mercury vapors pose documented neurological and respiratory risks to the people living in your properties. Upgrading an old mercury thermostat protects your tenants and your property.

The good news is that California has made safe disposal of mercury thermostats easy. Thermostat Care is a free mercury thermostat disposal program operating under California law, with more than 675 drop-off locations statewide. Drop off a mercury thermostat and you’ll receive a $30 mail-in rebate for each unit. If you’re managing multiple units and replacing old thermostats, that rebate can add up, plus the ongoing energy savings from smart thermostats.

The swap is simple: remove the old unit, drop it off at a Thermostat Care collection location, and receive the $30 mail-in rebate.

To find a drop-off location near you, visit ThermostatCare.org.