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Don’t you love it when the government gives you money to help buy something that is going to save you even more money! Luckily Steven Chu, the director of the Department of Energy, believes that you can never have too much of a good thing. In July of 2009 he announced that $300 million dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would be given to states to fund Energy Star appliance rebate programs. You didn’t think that all of the stimulus money was just going to Wall Street and car companies did you?
The money is provided by the DOE (which is really getting the money from China and other countries which will then be repaid by future taxpayers) to each state; which then develops its own rebate program. The DOE has put up a comprehensive web page for the state Energy Star rebate program and lists the products that it suggests individual states need to include in their program which include:
To see what appliances actually made the cut in your state and when the programs will be available (some have started, most should start by this spring) use the Energy Star appliance state rebate map .
The only thing to beware of is many states require you to purchase the appliance before they will give you the rebate, but there is a set amount of money (a.k.a. rebate pool) allocated for the rebate program. So there is a chance that you could purchase the energy saving appliance, apply for the rebate, but then all the money could be gone and you wont get your rebate. Don’t cry too hard if this happens to you. At least you have a nice new appliance that will save you oodles in reduced electricity costs! You were probably going to waste the money on candy and beer anyway…
For example, in Mapawatt’s home state of Georgia the rebate program, which is operated by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, just started on February 12, 2010. The website for the Georgia Energy Star rebate is very well done and lets potential buyers know how much money is left in the pool of money (as of this writing is $8,137,816). This way, buyers can estimate when the money may run out. The website also lists products available for the rebate (which ranges from $30 – $200) and shows the manufacturers of those products. Instead of giving you a check for the amount of the rebate the State of Georgia issues a prepaid Visa card, but we know that Americans prefer credit cards way more than cash anyway!
If you’ve been on the fence now for buying the new ultra-efficient A.C. unit or a new washing machine, the Energy Star rebate program just made your decision a whole lot easier. Research when the money will be made available by your state (if it hasn’t already) and plan your new energy efficient purchase! Not only will the rebate save you money up-front, but the Energy Star appliance will save you money in reduced energy costs in the long run! As an extremely tacky commercial on the local radio states, “It’s the biggest no-brainer in the history of Earth!”.
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Dang. I live in Massachusetts and our program covers only refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, and dishwashers, none of which I need. I was hoping to replace two 35-year-old furnaces with new ones or maybe with an air source heat pump. I also need to replace a 30-year-old water heater.
Any ideas on why MA chose the appliances they did for the rebate program? I would think a more efficient furnace would save a lot more energy, money and CO2 than a washing machine. Or maybe they selected the cheapest appliances so the money would spread across more households. Who knows?
David
http://www.energymetricsne.com
energy.shadypixel.com
This government program is a ‘tax the poor and give to the rich’ wealth redistribution. Taking money from renters and giving it to homeowners may (or may not) benefit the environment but it will cost those who cannot afford homes. Perhaps the government should remove itself from economic redistribution.
Jim,
I’m pretty sure that the owners of the properties that people are renting are able to take advantage of the Energy Star program as well. Renters need to start asking what type of appliances are in a home they are going to be renting because this is going to impact the amount they pay on their energy bills. This program can benefit the poor just as much as anyone else. In fact, I’m sure there are many people who are far from rich who need to buy a new washer/dryer, fridge, etc.
I wish we had something like this in Europe around where I’m living. I keep hearing about Energy Star Compliance but for us here, it’s only a dream…