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2011 Rebates Update: Heating & Cooling

GMS Editor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:14:29 +0000

Home Heating & Cooling Equipment

What are the incentives for home heating & cooling equipment?

Please note that these incentives have changed as of February 17, 2009. If you installed home envelope components between January 1 and February 16, 2009, click here.

Purchasers of highly efficient heating, cooling, and water heating equipment can take tax credits of 30% of installed cost for purchasing qualifying equipment, as detailed below. These credits are available for systems placed in service from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. There is a $1,500 cap on the credit per home, including the amount received for insulation, windows, air and duct sealing.

Congress extended this provision for 2011 with some modifications to eligibility requirements, and reductions in the cap to $500 per home. The $500 limit applies to heating and cooling equipment and to building envelope improvements, and applies to all years – if you received a credit in 2009 of $500 or more, you cannot receive it again in 2011. In addition, there are some instances where there is a cap on a specific product, see equipment descriptions’ links below for details.

I don’t think I qualify for this incentive – where can I find information on state-level incentives?

What types of equipment qualify?

Where must the equipment be used?

Under guidance issued by the IRS, equipment is eligible if installed in a home occupied by a taxpayer as their principal residence at the time the equipment is installed. This implies that equipment in new homes is generally not eligible since in new homes equipment is generally installed prior to occupancy. However, efficient equipment in new homes can help that home qualify for the new home tax credit.
What do I need to do to qualify for the incentives?

Under the IRS rules, manufacturers need to certify that specific measures are eligible. Homeowners should obtain a copy of this certification when buying these products from the manufacturer, contractor or retailer. Certifications need not be submitted to the IRS, but should be kept on file in case the IRS has questions. Homeowners should also make notes on when each eligible measure is installed- only measures “placed in service” in 2009 or 2010 are eligible.

Click here to access IRS guidance on qualifying energy-efficient property.

I don’t think I qualify for the incentive – where can I find information on state-level incentives?

To apply for the incentive, use IRS form 5695.

Learn more, including details about qualifying products, at The Tax Incentives Assistance Project.

2011 Rebates Update: Solar

GMS Editor — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:25:21 +0000

Solar Energy Systems

What are the tax incentives for solar systems?

Homeowners are eligible for tax credits for qualified solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. Solar water heating systems produce hot water, photovoltaic systems produce electricity (including solar fans). The credits are available for systems “placed in service” at any dwelling unit, not necessarily the primary residence, between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016.

Note: This is a basic guide to the credit. For more detailed information, go to www.seia.org and download SEIA’s FAQs regarding the new legislation.

Who is eligible for the tax incentives?

The tax credits go to businesses that install solar equipment for their use, and to individuals who install qualifying systems on homes they use as a residence (unlike other consumer incentives, the dwelling does not have to be the taxpayer’s primary residence – second homes are eligible, although rental properties are not).

How do the incentives work?

The tax credits are for 30% of the cost of the system. For systems installed before January 1st, 2009, the maximum credit for individuals is $2000 for photovoltaic systems and $2000 for solar water heating systems. Systems installed after December 31, 2008 are not subject to a cap. To qualify, residential systems must meet certain criteria as follows:

* Solar water heating:

System must be certified for performance by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation (SRCC) or a comparable entity endorsed by the state government in which the system is located. SRCC is an organization set up by the solar industry to test and certify equipment so purchasers have an independent assessment of system performance.
At least half of the energy used by the system to heat the water must be solar energy. The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs.

* Photovoltaic systems:

System must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirements.
This includes solar fans (the credit will cover the solar panel portion of the fan system).

What do I have to do to qualify for these incentives?

To qualify, tax payers will need to have evidence regarding:

the cost of the system (including labor and piping or wiring to connect the system to a home’s plumbing and/or electrical systems),
when it was placed in service,
whether the system meets the qualifying criteria discussed above.

For taxpayers installing solar PV or water heating systems at their residence, use the Residential Energy Efficient Property Form 5695.

Learn more at The Tax Incentives Assistance Project.

2011 Rebates Update: Wind & Geothermal Systems

GMS Editor — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:51:04 +0000

Small Wind Systems

What are the tax incentives for on-site wind systems?

On October 3, 2008, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, H.R. 1424, was enacted into law and includes a new federal-level investment tax credit to help consumers purchase small wind turbines for home, farm, or business use. Owners of small wind systems with 100 kilowatts (kW) of capacity and less can receive a credit for 30% of the total installed cost of the system. The credit will be available for equipment installed through December 31, 2016. This legislation marks the first federal incentive for small wind systems since 1985. The incentive was further expanded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, which removed the financial cap that had been present in the 2008 legislation..

Who is eligible for the tax incentives?

Home-owners, farmers, and businesses that install wind turbines with not more than 100 kilowatts of nameplate capacity are eligible for the incentive.

What do I have to do to qualify for these incentives?

To qualify, tax payers will need to have evidence regarding:

the cost of the system,
when it was placed in service,
whether the system meets the qualifying criteria discussed above.

Taxpayers installing on-site wind systems at their residence should use the IRS Residential Energy Efficient Property Form 5695.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

What are the tax incentives for geothermal heat pumps?

As part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, an incentive was added for geothermal heat pump property. The incentive for businesses is available from Oct. 3, 2008 through December 31, 2016, and for residential installations the incentive is available for units placed in service starting January 1, 2008 until December 31, 2016. Qualified geothermal heat pump property refers to any equipment which uses the ground or ground water as a thermal energy source to heat the taxpayer’s residence, or as a thermal energy sink to cool the residence. The unit must meet the requirements of the Energy Star program which are in effect when the heat pump is purchased.

The residential incentive covers 30% of the expenditures in the year the incentive is taken, up to a cap of $2,000 if the property was installed prior to January 1, 2009. Qualifying geothermal heat pump property installed after December 31, 2008 is eligible for 30% of the installed cost without a cap, as provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. The incentive is available for taxpayers installing qualifying equipment at their primary residence or a second home, but not for a rental property.

What do I have to do to qualify for these incentives?

To qualify, tax payers will need to have evidence regarding:

the cost of the system,
when it was placed in service,
whether the system meets the qualifying criteria discussed above.

Taxpayers installing geothermal heat pump systems at their residence should use IRS Form 5695 for the Residential Energy Efficient Property incentive.

Learn more at The Tax Incentives Assistance Project.

2011 Rebates Update: Fuel Cells

GMS Editor — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:16:51 +0000

What are the tax incentives for fuel cells?

These incentives are tax credits for two advanced distributed generation technologies: qualifying fuel cell and microturbine systems. Fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical process. They are somewhat similar to batteries, except fuel must be fed continuously to them. Microturbines are small power generation systems using a gas turbine engine, based on related turbines used in transportation. The credits are available for systems “placed in service” prior to December 31, 2016.

Who is eligible for the tax incentives?

Individuals are only eligible for the fuel cell tax incentive, while businesses can also apply for an incentive for microturbines.

What are the incentives and how do they work?

For fuel cells:

Credits are for 30% of the cost, up to $1000 per kW of power that can be produced.
To qualify systems must have an efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW.

* This incentive is permissible against the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

What do I have to do to qualify for these incentives?

To qualify, taxpayers will probably need to have evidence regarding:

The cost of the system (this includes the power generation system itself and “associated balance of plant components, including, in the case of microturbines, “secondary components located between the existing infrastructure for fuel delivery and the existing infrastructure for power distribution”),
The capacity of the system,
The efficiency of the system, and
When it was placed in service.

Learn more at The Tax Incentives Assistance Project.

Latest news on Home Star

GMS Editor — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:27:00 +0000

Senate Democrats punt on spill bill
By CORAL DAVENPORT | 8/3/10 3:38 PM EDT

Senate Democrats on Tuesday punted their oil spill response bill to next month, but the extra time doesn’t guarantee the measure will pass — far from it.

The delay virtually ensures that strategists from both parties will use the congressional recess to hone their plans, talking points and poison-pill amendments for any floor debate, all with an eye toward the midterm elections.

Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to pull the plug on offshore drilling is the latest blow to Democratic efforts to move energy legislation, beginning with the deaths of a sweeping climate change bill and then a scaled-down renewable energy bill.

Some Democrats and environmentalists said they are optimistic the extra time will allow them to revisit the broader renewable energy provisions they had to jettison earlier, in hopes of folding them into the drilling bill.

But lobbyists and staffers close to the energy bill process said that, if anything, the partisan dynamics that led Reid to pull the bill this week will only get worse the closer lawmakers come to the midterm elections.

“Reid has got to craft a very narrow bill. He’s going to have to go as narrow as possible,” said a former Senate Democratic aide now closely involved in the Hill energy debate. “Getting broader just makes it harder. He’s going to have to go as narrow as possible, given that he’s got some Democrats against the liability cap. It’s a terrible box.”

“Sen. Reid is predictably blaming Republicans for standing in the way of a bill that he threw together in secret and without input from almost any other member of the Senate,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Process alone guaranteed its failure, although substance would have as well had Sen. Reid actually brought his bill up for debate or a vote.”

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, the author of the language lifting the liability cap and the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, sounded a partisan message about the stalled bill, outlining the talking points Democratic strategists had prepared to use in August campaigns after the spill vote.

“The key question is, Whose side are you on? … Are you on the side of Big Oil, or are you on the side of citizens in coastal communities?” Menendez said. “I hope citizens spend the month of August asking Republicans why they oppose holding BP accountable.”

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Did Cash for Appliances Work?

GMS Editor — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:23:15 +0000

It’s a huge success. It hasn’t gone anywhere. Actually, it’s a little of both.

Fifty states and six territories have launched “Cash for Appliances” programs since late last year. Each one had the same amount of money – about a dollar per resident – but the results have been wildly different. Some states ran through their entire rebate budgets in hours; others can’t seem to give away their money. What’s been going on?

(click for full sized chart)

Cash for Appliances, modeled on (or at least nicknamed after) last year’s “Cash for Clunkers” program, was funded as part of the $787 billion stimulus bill. Unlike “Cash for Clunkers,” the appliance rebate program wasn’t designed and administered by the federal government. Instead, the government directed $300 million to the 50 states (plus DC and several American territories), at a ratio of roughly $1 per person in each state. Each state then had the opportunity to design their own program within the general guidelines given by the government.

As you’d imagine with a lot of cooks in the kitchen, no two states designed their rebate program in the exact same way: rebate amounts, categories, eligibility, application processes and marketing plans have all differed. As have the results… Ten states had crushing consumer demand that caused them to run out of rebate funds within 4 days of the respective program start dates, with complaints of flooded call centers and crashing websites. Thirteen other states still have desperate operators standing by and literally can’t give away their money.

Comparing State by State Rebate Programs

It’s not just a matter of some states having better deals than others. Take, for example, refrigerator rebates in Massachusetts, Minnesota and California. The programs in all three states offered $200 rebates on efficient refrigerators. Massachusetts and Minnesota “sold out” in 1 day and 2 days respectively. California? Same rebate amount, but the program has been open since April and still has $19 million in rebates unredeemed.

Across the country, the rebate categories and amounts are all over the board:
So what attributes matter the most when it comes to determining whether a state program sells out quickly or not at all? The answers aren’t as straightforward as you’d think. We did some analysis to compare each of the programs to see what predicted their likelihood to sell out.

What Doesn’t Matter

Average Electricity Rates: One of the biggest surprises in analyzing the state by state rebate data is that the average price of electricity in a state has almost no impact on how popular its Cash for Appliances program is. Consumers don’t seem to be thinking about this program in terms of its ability to save them money over the long-term – otherwise, we’d expect to see that the states with much more expensive electricity selling out their rebate programs much more quickly than those that have relatively cheap power.

Non-Appliance Rebates: There are the “shiny” appliances (refrigerators, washers, freezers and dishwashers), and then there are the “boring” systems (air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, water heaters, boilers and solar water heaters). There’s almost no correlation between the number of “boring” categories that a state has rebates for, or the maximum amount of any of those rebates, and the speed at which the state has gone or is going through their Cash for Appliances budget. While we haven’t seen break-downs for many states in terms of the numbers of each type of rebate that have been redeemed, this result indicates that most people aren’t being motivated by the number or dollar figures of non-appliance rebates.

What Matters a Little Bit

Number of “Shiny” Appliance Rebate Categories: There are four basic appliance categories where states can offer rebates (refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and clothes washers). Generally speaking, the states that offer rebates in 3 or 4 of those categories are more likely to have run through their rebate dollars quickly than those that have offered rebates in fewer appliance categories.

The fact that states that offer smaller rebates on a broader set of appliances have handed out their money faster than states that offer larger rebates on fewer types of appliances may mean that rebates aren’t successfully channeling consumers into buying specific appliances, but rather “catching” buyers who were already planning purchases.

What Really Matters

“Do you have reservations, sir?”: The number one predictor of whether a state rebate program sold out quickly didn’t have anything to do with how generous the rebates were. It actually turned out to hinge on the program’s design. Virtually all the “fast” states required consumers to pre-reserve a rebate application before making a purchase. These states set up websites and call centers that “opened” at a certain date and time, creating an “event” that turned into a feeding frenzy of activity, before closing down within days, or even hours.

Ten of the 17 “fastest” states required consumers to reserve a rebate before purchasing a qualifying appliance. Six others had hybrid programs where consumers could either reserve ahead of time or get the discount at the point of sale (if available). Of the 15 “slowest” states, 11 have no reservation system, and three others have optional reservation systems. Basically, all the “slow” states use mail-in rebates after purchase.

Conclusions

For rebate program designers in government, utilities or manufacturers, there are a few lessons that can be taken away from the Cash for Appliances results:

1. Create demand through scarcity by requiring pre-reservation for new rebate programs. For rebate programs like Indiana and Pennsylvania (and like many utility rebate programs across the country), that only pay out non-appliance rebates, a potentially effective strategy to kick-start demand would be to re-launch the program with higher rebates for the same back-end measures, but require consumers to pre-reserve their rebate on a specific launch date.

2. Bundle “shiny stuff” (basic appliances) and “boring stuff” (HVAC systems) together to increase the uptake of less exciting, but greater energy saving, systems.

3. Catch the “already upgrading” crowd by offering rebates on a wide set of categories but only on the most efficient models in each category. The program may not be stimulating purchases that wouldn’t have happened already, but it can nudge consumers to the highest efficiency products in each category.

The data from the Cash for Appliances program results fit with academic research on consumer behavior.

“The variable rates of uptake based on seemingly trivial factors such as creating a sense of urgency are further evidence that, when the goal is to encourage consumers to act in their best interest, giving them some reason other than pure rationality can be surprisingly effective,” said Michael I. Norton, Associate Professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School, “Inserting some excitement into behaving well – in some sense, copying the way parents induce their children to eat their vegetables via airplane noises – should always be an important consideration for policymakers interested in encouraging behavior change.”

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Cash for Caulkers: The Definitive Guide

GMS Editor — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:10:52 +0000

6/11/2010
By: Houston Neal
Director of Marketing, Software Advice

“Cash for Caulkers” is nearly here. Last month the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5019 – also known as the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 or “Cash for Caulkers” – to kick-start construction, create jobs and cut back carbon emissions. While the bill still needs to clear the Senate, supporters predict it will pass this summer.

This is great news for homeowners and contractors alike. The bill provisions $6 billion for energy-efficient or “green” retrofits. It is expected to fund renovations for 3 million families, create 168,000 new jobs and save consumers $9.2 billion on energy bills over the next 10 years.

But in order to cash in on upcoming rebates, homeowners and contractors will need to do their homework. There are 13 types of retrofits eligible for funding. Each retrofit has unique eligibility requirements and set rebate amounts. You can read the full text here.

Who is Eligible and How to Qualify?

The Home Star bill offers two rebate programs, the “Silver Star” program and “Gold Star” program. Here are details for each:

Silver Star – Unless another amount is specified in the “Rebate Amount” column above, homeowners will receive a $1,000 rebate for each retrofit listed in our table. The maximum amount of rebates paid out will be $3,000 or 50% of the total cost, whichever is lower. For example, if a homeowner spends a total of $4,000 on eligible retrofits, they will get $2,000 or 50% back as a rebate. If they spend $8,000 on eligible retrofits, they would only receive $3,000 in rebates instead of $4,000 (which would be 50% of the cost).

We made it really easy to wade through the legalese. Here is a table that breaks down the 13 retrofits of the bill, along with the requirements and rebate amount for each. In addition to the requirements we listed, each retrofit must comply with Building Performance Institute (BPI) standards or other procedures to be approved by the Secretary of Energy.

Gold Star – To qualify for the Gold Star program, homeowners must reduce their total home energy consumption by 20%. A $3,000 rebate will be rewarded for this reduction. Homeowners can receive an additional $1,000 for each additional 5% reduction, up to a total rebate of $8,000 or 50% of the total retrofit cost. Rebates may be provided for any of the retrofits listed under the Silver Star program, or for any other energy-saving measure, including: home energy management systems, high-efficiency appliances, highly reflective roofing, awnings, canopies, and similar external fenestration (window) attachments, automatic boiler water temperature controllers, energy-efficient wood products, insulated vinyl siding, and mechanical air circulation and heat exchangers in a passive-solar home.

The Home Star bill also includes rebates for do-it-yourself (DIY) homeowners that are confident in taking on the renovations themselves. DIY’ers can get up to $250 in rebates for products purchased without installation service. This rebate is limited to attic insulation, crawl space insulation and/or air-sealing retrofits.

Seal Your House Envelope and Improve Insulation

Before carrying out any serious retrofit, homeowners need to weatherize and seal their house “envelope.” The envelope includes outer walls, windows, doors, floors and the ceiling. If the house is not properly sealed and insulated, then subsequent HVAC retrofits won’t be as effective.

So how much does it cost to seal all the air leaks in a home? Prices will obviously vary based on where you live, how big your property is and the scope of the retrofit. But it will likely cost a few thousand dollars to hire a contractor for this type of renovation. In this example from the New York Times, the author spent $3,760 for insulating and sealing the envelope of his 1,200 square foot home.

How much can homeowners expect to save? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that homeowners can save 20% on heating and cooling costs by sealing leaks and adding insulation. In New York – one of the most expensive places to heat a home with an average annual cost of $1,513 – this would be a yearly savings of $300 just for heating.

Continuing with the example from the New York Times, the Silver Star program would provide $1,880 (50%) in rebates for their retrofit. At an annual savings rate of $300, the renovation would pay for itself in six years (or less if you include cost savings from reduced air conditioning bills).

Repair and Replace Leaky Ducts

Duct replacement and sealing is eligible for funding under the Home Star bill. Many homeowners will want to outsource this project to a qualified HVAC contractor. Contractors have equipment to detect leaks that otherwise may not be immediately visible. They also have methods to seal ducts that are inaccessible. For example, by spraying an adhesive or sealant through the duct work.

Replacing and sealing ducts can also be a DIY project, especially when ducts can be easily accessed in an attic or basement. Leaks should be sealed with mastic sealant or metal tape (not duct tape), then insulated to reduce heat loss and to further improve efficiency. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has an excellent guide on how to seal and insulate ducts.

Upgrade Your Furnace and Water Heater

Heating is the largest energy expense in homes, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In colder parts of the country, it makes up 30 to 50% of annual energy bills. So improving the heating efficiency of your home will have the biggest impact on lowering your energy costs. Sealing air leaks is a good start, but replacing your heating system could provide real leverage towards cost savings.

If your furnace or boiler was purchased before 1990, then it is time to consider an upgrade. Modern furnaces are much more efficient than those that are older than 20 years. You can use rebates from the Home Star bill to replace your furnace, but you will need to meet their guidelines:

Water heaters are typically the second largest energy users after home heating and cooling systems. Replacing convention oil-fired water heaters with high-efficiency gas or electric heaters can save homeowners thousands of dollars over a 10 to 15 year period. The Home Star bill includes a variety of replacement options eligible for rebates.

Additional Financing Resources

With other legislation in the queue, it might take weeks or months to hear the Senate’s final decision on the Home Star bill. In the meantime, homeowners can receive funding from other sources to pay for green renovations. The federal government, state governments, local municipalities and even utility companies offer several options.

For example, homeowners can still receive a federal tax credit for 30% of the cost of energy-efficient products (up to a total credit of $1,500). This includes the purchase of central air conditioning systems (both the product and installation), electric heat pumps, furnaces and boilers, and whole-house ventilation fans. Visit the US Department of Energy Energy Savers website for more information.

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Cash for Caulkers update

GMS Editor — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:14:25 +0000

What has been dubbed “Home Star 2.0″ has been introduced to the full Senate on May 27 by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Jeff Bingman, Chair; Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member). The version of the bill, S.3434, has bi-partisan support and there are some hopes it will be passed by July 4.

The Home Star Program was launched in March by President Obama to help put American housing construction workers back to work. It has two major tracks providing long and short-term Texas electricity savings; the Silver Star Program and the Gold Star Program.

According to both versions of the legislation, the Silver Star Program will offer rebates, in varying amounts up to $3,000 per home, awarded to participating contractors and vendors, who perform qualifying energy saving improvements. That means if a homeowner hires a contractor, the contractor will float the value of the rebate as a discount to you. They will then be paid by the rebate aggregator.

However, you can do some installations yourself. The press release for the Senate version says consumers can get “between $250 and $1500 in ‘point-of-sale’ rebates” for insulation, air sealing, and — of course — caulk.

The Gold Star Program offers retrofits that rebate up to $8,000 to contractors and vendors for retrofits that achieve home energy savings determined by a comparison of the simulated energy consumption of the home before and after the retrofit. Gold Star rebates to only be offered by contractors accredited by the Building Performance Institute. And it also includes similar language to the House version that defines a “certified workforce” as one where all employees performing installation work are certified by NATE, BPI, LIUNA, or HBI.

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Delaware announces 10,000th appliance rebate

GMS Editor — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:53:28 +0000

Gov. Jack Markell and state Sen. Harris McDowell III, co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), announced this week that the SEU’s Energize Delaware had issued its 10,000th appliance rebate as part of its popular Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program.

Launched last September and designed to provide Delawareans money-back incentives for upgrading to new, high-efficiency household appliances, the program has provided nearly 10,200 rebates, saved more than $225,000 per year in energy-related costs, more than 1.2 million kilowatts of electricity and more than 16,500 therms of natural gas per year, officials said.

Delaware was the first state in the nation to deploy an appliance rebate program using federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. Having the non-profit Sustainable Energy Utility in place helped make the state’s leadership possible and move the appliance rebate money more quickly than most other states, officials noted.

In making the announcement, Markell stated, “This program demonstrates that people can cut their energy use without sacrificing modern conveniences. Delawareans save money and energy, reducing our collective demand on resources and helping us better protect the environment while spurring the economy. When people purchase new, more efficient appliances, it puts people to work to make and sell the appliances, generating economic benefits on many levels.”

“This important milestone in our Appliance Rebate Program is a testament to Delawareans’ commitment to saving energy and money, creating jobs and protecting the environment,” said McDowell “We’ve made important progress, but our job is far from finished and the SEU’s Energize Delaware is determined to provide the energy-efficiency resources and support residents and businesses need.”

In remarking on the milestone, Secretary Collin O’Mara of the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said, “Delaware has a long tradition of being at the forefront of innovation and is again setting a national example for empowering and engaging residents in fostering a sustainable energy future.

In an effort to become more energy efficient, Mary Conrad of Dover took advantage of the rebate offering when she recently purchased a dishwasher as part of a remodeling project in her kitchen. Conrad’s appliance purchase helped the program pass the 10,000th rebate milestone.

“I have been trying to be more conservative when it comes to energy use and to have less of a footprint on the earth all around,” Conrad said. “When I decided to redo my kitchen, I realized it was time to replace my 22-year-old dishwasher that wasn’t working as well it should. I was shopping around for prices and models, and a dealer had a sign about the rebates, and the model I decided to buy qualified for one.”

Conrad indicated that the money-back offer was an added incentive she needed to invest in a long-term energy-saving solution. When she is ready to make a future appliance purchase, she said she will be on the lookout for energy-efficient models that carry the Energy Star label.

“If every individual tries to do that, we can reduce our damage to the earth,” she added. “People looking for ways to become more energy efficient should take advantage of these rebates. And if you can save more money in this economy, it’s to your benefit.”

In recognition of the program’s 10,000th rebate, American Express, which issues the prepaid rebate cards to program participants, provided Conrad with a $100 American Express Gift Card.

Per capita, Delaware uses more energy than its neighbors and pays more for it. The average household spends about $2,200 on energy bills each year, but energy efficiency practices and Energy Star products can save a resident up to $700 a year on their energy bills.

These newer appliances use 10 to 50 percent less energy than standard, energy-sapping models and over time they more than cover the cost of the upgrade.

Through the Appliance Rebate Program, residents can download and submit rebate forms to receive up to $200 back on clothes washers, water heaters, room air conditioners and dishwashers. The program is scheduled to run until Aug. 31.

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Congressman Sestak Announces Pennsylvania’s Cash for Appliances Program

GMS Editor — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:03:05 +0000

Rebates available for non-electric water heaters, furnaces, and boilers

MEDIA, PA – The opening of the Cash for Appliances program will allow Pennsylvanians to receive rebates of up to $500 for the purchase of new ENERGY STAR qualifying non-electric water heaters, furnaces, and boilers. These rebates are being funded with $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which Congressman Sestak voted for last year. The ENERGY STAR program is a joint project between the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy which looks to provide information on how to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

“Decreasing our energy consumption through energy efficiency is one of the most critical steps we can take in establishing our economic and environmental security,” said Congressman Sestak. “As Pennsylvanians continue to manage their budgets during this historic economic recession, the Cash for Appliances program can provide assistance to households who need to upgrade old and inefficient equipment but might not have been able to otherwise afford it.”

The Cash for Appliances program is being managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) and applies only to equipment purchased after April 21, 2010. In order to learn more about the specifics of the program, visit the Pennsylvania Cash for Appliances website, www.paheatingrebates.com, or call 1-877-592-2061. Note that the rebate program will run for a limited time only and will end when funds run out.

“An efficiently managed Cash for Appliances program will benefit American citizens and local businesses as well as taking us one step closer to a more secure and sustainable economy,” said Congressman Sestak.

The Cash for Appliances program can also be leveraged with other Act 129 [a law passed by the Pennsylvania State Legislature] rebates. Please contact your electric company about what other appliance rebates may be available through their programs for clothes washers, refrigerators, and dishwashers, as well as electric water heaters and HVAC equipment.

If you are a PECO customer, more information about PECO’s Act 129 equipment rebates, appliance recycling, and home energy audits can be found by calling -888-5-PECO-SAVE (1-888-573-2672) or by visiting the PECO Smart ideas webpage: www.pecosmartideas.com.

If you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your principal residence, you may also be eligible for a federal tax credit for 30% of cost up to $1,500. Please note that as of this date, these tax credits are set to expire on December 31, 2010. For more information, please visit the ENERGY STAR website at www.energystar.gov/taxcredits.

Also available on the ENERGY STAR website is an energy efficient rebate locator. Visit www.energystar.gov and click on “ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program” to access this search database which provides additional information about rebates that may currently be available through a zip code search.

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