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?

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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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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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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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Responding to complaints from people unable to secure rebates for energy-efficient appliances this week, state officials yesterday promised to honor payouts for the nearly 13,000 consumers on a waiting list for vouchers, and said that a second round of discounts will be offered this summer.

Unlike this week’s rebate program, the new one will distribute money through a lottery or some other random process, officials said, not on a first-come, first-served basis. It will also use funds set aside for other energy-efficiency programs in Massachusetts, instead of the federal stimulus dollars spent on Thursday’s giveaway.

While declining to provide a specific amount for the summer program, officials said it will be comparable to this week’s $5.5 million offering.

The Earth Day promotion proved so popular that a state website set up to process applications crashed minutes after the program launched at 10 a.m., and the money was depleted in less than two hours. More than 26,000 people were able to log on and secure at least one rebate, but thousands of others were frustrated by error messages, and a special phone line was jammed. In addition, a second website set up to alleviate online pressure quickly stalled out. The state had said that its website was built in anticipation of heavy traffic.

The rebate frenzy may have been heightened by the amount of the give-backs relative to the appliances’ prices. After the $250 dishwasher rebate, for instance, some low-end models were selling for $20 or less in area stores. Other rebates included $200 for refrigerators, $175 for clothes washers, and $50 for freezers. Yesterday, officials indicated rebates may be less generous next time around.

With the word yesterday that all 12,731 people on the waiting list will get a rebate reservation, those consumers now can go ahead and purchase their appliances. The cost of the waiting list rebates alone is $2 million. Officials said some of it will likely come from an initial $5.5 million federal allocation, based on the assumption that some of the rebates already handed out Thursday will go unused.

To make up the difference and to fund the summer program, the state said it will tap the account of MassSave — a partnership involving the state, major utility companies, and energy contractors. It has $2 billion to spend over the next three years to promote energy conservation in the state, funded by a surcharge of about $1 to $2 on customers’ utility bills, as well as funds from utilities and power plant operators. Robert Keough, spokesman for the state Office of Energy and the Environment, said the agency considers the appliance rebates an effective use of MassSave money, and that it will not significantly detract from MassSave’s other offerings, including home insulation subsidies and energy audits

After buying an appliance that qualifies for a rebate — which must be done by May 5 — consumers should send the rebate form to the state, along with a copy of the receipt, a recent electric bill, and a document showing the old appliance was taken away and a new one installed. Depending on store policies, consumers may have to pay for delivery, installation, and removal of old appliances. They also must pay the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on the price of appliances prior to the rebate.

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Perhaps your water heater was damaged during the November nor’easter.

Maybe you’ve eyed a new water-saving washing machine to replace an old one.

Or, if you have an outdated heat pump, you might have considered swapping it for a model that uses less energy.

For any of these appliance purchases, you could get some money back from the federal government.

Starting Wednesday, Virginia will launch its version of the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, funded through the federal stimulus package.

For a new electric heat pump, consumers can get $300 back. Those who buy a washing machine can receive a $75 rebate. Purchases of energy-saving gas furnaces, water heaters and refrigerators also qualify for cash. All appliances must meet federal Energy Star standards for efficiency.

Consumers who want one of the rebates should act fast. If other states’ experiences and prior rebate programs in Virginia are any indication, the cash for appliances will run out quickly.

Virginia received $7.45 million for its program, overseen by the state Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. The department expects the funding to provide 41,398 rebates.

“We are really hoping we will not have all the rebates claimed in one or two days, as has happened in other states,” said Al Christopher, director of the department’s energy division. “There is a huge amount of interest in appliance rebate programs.”

Starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, consumers can reserve a rebate on the department’s website. The department will take reservations online only and will approve applications in the order they are received.

Once the rebate is reserved, the consumer has 60 days to purchase the appliance, then must provide documentation to the state to claim the money. The department processes the redemption forms and mails the rebate check, which can take an additional six to eight weeks, Christopher said.

The department will start a wait list once the reservations deplete the available funds. Money left over from unredeemed reservations will trickle down to those on the list.

For natural gas appliances such as furnaces and water heaters, Hampton Roads consumers don’t have to wait until Wednesday to apply for rebates.

Virginia Natural Gas and Columbia Gas of Virginia, the natural gas providers in the region, have their own rebate programs for energy-efficient gas appliances and will use the federal funds to supplement and extend them to more customers.

The state’s cash-for-appliances website will direct VNG and Columbia Gas customers to their sites to apply for rebates.

In January 2009, VNG began offering rebates of $500 for a high-efficiency furnace, $500 for a tankless water heater and $150 for a tank water heater.

Columbia Gas’ rebates, which began in January, are $300 for a furnace, $300 for a tankless water heater and $50 for a tank water heater.

Consumers won’t get the federal money in addition to the companies’ rebates. The utilities chose to use the money to subsidize their programs, stretching those dollars to more consumers.

Unlike the state, the companies accept no reservations for rebates. Their applications require customers to buy and install the equipment and provide documentation before they can receive any money.

In conjunction with the federal program, many appliance manufacturers are offering rebates on Energy Star appliances, said Rob Nicholson, president of East Coast Appliance & Electronics. He plans to run a sale, with discounts of 20 percent on high-efficiency items, at East Coast’s four Hampton Roads stores.

The Home Depot also is taking 10 percent off appliances priced $398 or more to coincide with the federal rebates, said Craig Fishel, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based home-improvement chain.

“There’s going to be some incredible prices for appliances,” Nicholson said. “It’s probably one of the best times you’ll ever see.”

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The state’s cash for appliances program doled out its maximum amount of rebate reservations today in around two hours, and stopped accepting wait-list applications less than an hour later.

The money ran out after the rebate program opened to a huge response this morning, overwhelming the state website set up to handle the crush of consumers seeking bargains. Many customers were unable to get through by phone and the MassSave.com website delivered error messages to some seeking to claim a rebate reservation. An update on the state’s website advised users to access the rebate registration form directly at https://www.maswap1.com, but even that link was sluggish.

State officials has said the website set up specifically for the rebate program, www.MassSave.com, would be able to handle 5,000 visitors at once.

The state is distributing $6 million in federal stimulus money under the program, which gives qualifying customers rebates of between $50 and $250 for energy efficient dishwashers, refrigerators, clothes washer, and freezers.

Retailers report a brisk business today, but say they expect bigger crowds this evening, when more customers have rebates in hand.

“We had three people waiting at the door when we opened, and it’s been steady ever since,” said Tara Patton, store manager of Sears in Cambridge.Sears stores opened at 6 a.m. today for a special Earth Day sale.

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This is the week to buy energy-efficient household appliances in Missouri.

The state of Missouri has rolled out two incentive plans to encourage people to buy eco-friendly appliances.

One state program offers a rebate check and the other grants a Missouri sales tax holiday this week on qualifying energy efficient appliances.

In addition, many retailers are offering special discounts to attract customers to their stores. To further sweeten the deals, many utilities, including AmerenUE, also offer rebates on energy-efficient furnaces.

Starting Monday, Missourians who buy many new energy-efficient appliances will be eligible to receive up to $575 in rebates from a new statewide program if they don’t mind jumping through several bureaucratic hoops in order to achieve the rebate check.

Additional savings can be achieved this week by buying an appliance during the week-long special Show-Me Green Sales Tax holiday. No Missouri state sales taxes will be collected on qualifying Energy Star certified new appliances costing up to $1,500 per appliance if purchased between 12:01 a.m. on April 19 and ending at midnight on Sunday, April 25.

The rebates are funded by federal stimulus money through the American Recovery Act. States around the nation are giving rebates to consumers to replace inefficient home appliances with energy-efficient models.

From the federal government, Missouri received $5.6 million to fund its Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate Program, which started Monday.

Missouri will offer the rebates until all of the $5.6 million the state received from the federal government runs out.

Missouri consumers can qualify for rebates ranging from $75 to $500 with a maximum of $575 for multiple appliances.

Rebates on appliance models that qualify for the ENERGY STAR rating are: Gas furnaces, $125; central air conditioning, $100; air source heat pump, $250; tankless gas water heaters, $100; electric heat pump water heaters, $150; solar water heaters with gas or electric backup, $500; clothes washers, $75; and dishwashers, $75.

Eligible appliances are arranged into five categories. Only one rebate is allowed from each of five appliance categories — space heating, space cooling, water heaters, clothes washers and dishwashers. No more than $575 can be collected for multiple appliance purchases.

The appliance purchased must be a replacement for an existing appliance. Purchases made for constructing a new home are not included in the rebate program if the purchase did not replace an existing installed appliance.

Brandon Irwin, assistant manager at the Sears store in Fulton, said business was brisk Monday. He said the store is offering a 30 percent discount on qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances. “The discount itself without all of the other incentives is a terrific deal. The rebates and sales tax breaks further sweeten the deal,” Irwin said.

Starting Wednesday, a limited number of rebates also are scheduled to be available for consumers to reserve directly on-line at www.missouriappliancerebate.com or by telephone at 877-541-4848. It’s important to print the reservation form that is used in the application for the rebate. The rebate program may last longer in Missouri than it did in Illinois, which cut off the program after one day when all of its rebate reservations had been made.

Consumers also must show proof that their old replaced appliance was recycled. This can be determined by visiting MissouriApplianceRebate.com for details on recycling proof.

Within 60 days of making a reservation, consumers then must sign and mail their completed rebate application form along with the proof of purchase, residency and recycling to: Energize Missouri Appliance Rebate Program, Dept. 21282, P.O. Box 3688, Medina, Ohio 44258-3688.

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The State of Florida will distribute approximately $17.5 million on a first-come, first-served basis to Florida residents who purchase ENERGY STAR appliances from Florida retailers between Friday, April 16, and Sunday, April 25, 2010.

The Florida ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program Web Site will be launched in early April 2010, well in advance of the program’s start date and rebate application forms will be available at that time. (Update: the Florida Appliance Rebate website is now live.)

Download the rebate form here: http://thegovmonitor.com/florida_energy_star_rebate_form.pdf

Apply for a priority number here: www.rebates.com/florida

Floridians can begin reserving rebates at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, April16, 2010, and continue until all $17.5 million in rebate funds are disbursed.

When will the rebate program begin?

A: The program will begin on Friday, April16, 2010. Floridians can begin reserving rebate funds at 11:00 a.m. EDT – after purchasing a qualifying ENERGY STAR appliance.

How many rebates are available?

A: The State of Florida plans to distribute – on a first-come, first-served basis – approximately $17.5 million to Florida residents participating in the rebate program. Florida residents must submit a completed rebate application form, along with a sales receipt,* and can reserve rebate funds by registering online and receiving a Priority Number at the Florida ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program Web Site, which will be launched in early April 2010.

When will the rebate program end?

A: The rebate program will continue until all $17.5 million in rebate funds are disbursed. Only purchases made between Friday, April 16, and Sunday, April 25, 2010, are eligible to be considered for rebates, which will be paid only if rebate funds are available. Rebate applications with Priority Numbers will be processed first. All rebate applications without a Priority Number will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
If rebate funds are still available after processing all submissions purchased during the period above, the program may be extended.
NOTICE: Rebate funds may run out before the program is scheduled to end. REBATES ARE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS; THEREFORE, SUBMITTING A REBATE APPLICATION FORM DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU WILL RECEIVE A REBATE.

What is the total dollar amount I can receive and how is it calculated?

A: Each household can claim up to $1,500 if they purchase eligible ENERGY STAR products and submit a rebate application on time, as long as funds are available. Florida residential consumers may receive 20% back on eligible appliances based on purchase price for products less all discounts, and does not include tax. An additional $75 bonus is available on top of the 20% rebate for recycling the older appliance. The $1,500 cap includes the $75 recycling bonus.

Please note that only one appliance type per household is eligible. Consumers will not be paid more than $1,500 in total for all rebates they qualify for, including the recycling bonus.

Which appliances are eligible for rebates?

A: Only select ENERGY STAR® refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dishwashers, gas water heaters (tank-less), and room air conditioners will be eligible for a rebate in the Florida ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program. For a list of eligible ENERGY STAR® appliances, check out the Web site www.energystar.gov.

Where can I find a list of qualified appliances?

A: A list of qualified ENERGY STAR® appliances can be found at the www.energystar.gov Web page.

Who is eligible for a rebate?

A: Florida residential consumers that adhere to the program’s requirements are eligible.

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With more than 38 mil­lion Web hits and nearly 39,000 rebate reservations made, Texans swarmed online and telephone res­ervation systems Wednes­day to grab rebates for en­ergy- efficient appliances from the Texas Comptrol-l­er’s office.

The comptroller’s of­fice said there were ap­proximately 2,400 Web hits per second and about 1,000 calls per minute. And because of the over­whelming popularity of the Texas Trade Up Ap­pliance Rebate program and the extremely high volume of traffic on the Web site, www.Tex­asPowerfulSmart.org, the comptroller’s office worked throughout the day with the company ad­ministering the rebates to alleviate delays related to extremely high demand on the Web site as well as on the phone reservation system.

The Comptroller’s of­fice said it had 550 people answering calls on the res­ervation telephone lines. It said it also will investi­gate what appears to be a Web attack that may have flooded the online reserva­tion system early in the day, using nearly 75 percent of the available capacity.

The Comptroller’s office reported Texans reserved 38,864 guaranteed rebates; of that total, 32,283 reserva­tions were made online and 6,581 over the telephone.

“Regrettably, we were only given approximately $23 million to implement and administer the rebate program in a state of this size, and there were some people who were not able to get through in time to re­serve a guaranteed rebate,” Combs said. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of other rebates and incen­tives on Energy Star® prod­ucts offered at the federal, state and local levels, in­cluding the state’s Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday com­ing up over Memorial Day weekend.”

Consumers have to be on the guaranteed rebate reser­vation list or the waitlist in order to print or receive the application forms necessary to mail in to claim rebates. Residents must mail in their rebate forms and a copy of the sales receipt, along with any other required docu­ments, postmarked within 60 days of the reservation date. Rebate applications mailed in from waitlist par­ticipants will be processed in the order received, pend­ing available funds.

Texans can use the re­bates to buy energy effi­cient appliances in eight appliance categories. The purchase period for all ap­pliances begins April 16. For refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dishwash­ers and room air condition­ers, the purchase period ends April 25. For central air conditioners, hot water heaters and air-source heat pumps, the purchase period ends 60 days from the re­bate reservation or waitlist request date.

Disposal of the old, func­tional appliance of the same type is required for all re­bate applications. There is an additional $75 rebate for recycling the old appli­ance.

Information to other re­bates and incentives can be found at www.TexasPower­fulSmart.org/incentives.

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In another two weeks, it’s going to be easier, and a fair bit cheaper, to save electricity and take a little off your utility bill.

On April 19, the Governor’s Energy Office is launching a new set of rebates on energy-efficient appliances and energy-saving home improvements. It will also launch a new Web site with energy efficiency and rebate information.

“It’s a one-stop shop where people can get all of the information they need,” said Tom Plant, executive directorof the Governor’s Energy Office, who was in Colorado Springs on Monday promoting the new program.

The $18 million program, dubbed Recharge Colorado, is being paid for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Earlier ARRA funds were aimed at immediate needs, Plant said, whereas the rebates are designed to give the economy a boost as things begin to turn around.

The rebates include energy-efficient appliances such as clothes washers ($75 rebate), dishwashers ($50) and tankless water heaters ($300), plus services like home energy audits (up to $100) and home solar and wind power systems (up to 30 percent of the system cost). The GEO plans to award about 75,000 rebates in all.

The rebate on washing machines is likely to be the hot item, said Colorado Springs Utilities spokesman Gabriel Romero, because the Recharge Colorado $75 rebate can be matched with another $75 from Utilities.

On April 19, the Governor’s Energy Office will begin offering rebates on energy-efficient appliances and energy-efficiency improvements. Here’s a sample of the rebates that will be available:

Clothes washer — $75
Dishwasher — $50
Refrigerators — Up to $100
Furnaces — $500
Hot water heaters — $200-$300
Insulation and air sealing — Up to $400
Duct sealing — Up to $75
Whole house energy audit — Up to $100

For more information, go to colorado.gov/energy. A new Web site and a call center will be available on April 19. Once the program launches, consumers need to reserve a rebate before they buy the product or service. The rebates are not retroactive.

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