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Don’t Miss Out on Your “Cash for Appliances” Rebate

June 17, 2011 By jlursecu Leave a Comment

Image by Robert Stinnett (flickr.com)

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Backed by an initial 0 million in funding from the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the “Cash for Appliances” program will offer rebates on purchases of a wide array of home appliances certified as energy-efficient by the EPA’s Energy Star program.  The intent is that this will encourage consumer spending on appliances and, hence, further stimulate the economy.

Under the program, each state administers its own “Cash for Appliances” program. The states are free to select which residential Energy Star qualified appliances to include in their programs and the individual rebate amount offered for each appliance.  Thus, where you live determines which consumers are eligible to participate, how much rebate money you can earn for a particular appliance, the variety of appliances included in the program, and whether or not there are additional recycling incentives that add to your earnings.

Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines recommended that states focus the program on heating and cooling equipment, appliances, and water heaters as these products offer the greatest energy savings potential.  The general expectation was the rebates would range from to 0 per appliance.  If your state or local utility district offers other rebates for purchases of energy-efficient appliances, these can be combined with the “Cash for Appliances” rebate.  Unlike the “Cash for Clunkers” program, there is no need to trade-in an old appliance.

In actual implementation, the “cash for appliances” program in your area, however, may or may not reflect this recommended concept.  Alaska, for instance, offers rebates only to the disabled.  Kansas limits participation to its low-income residents.  In Maryland, your rebate will only be for a qualifying refrigerator.  Indiana’s rebates equate to a small fraction of the thousands a resident would need to install qualifying high-end heating and cooling system in their primary residence.  On the other end of the spectrum, Iowa’s rebate program is very generous.  New York and several other states offer additional incentives for properly recycling the appliance you are replacing.

The bottom line, then, is that you need to weigh the benefits and advantages of this program based on your situation.  For some this may be a great opportunity.  For others, the most cost effective route may be to just keep and/or repair the appliance they are considering replacing.  It’s worth a look, though, and here are some suggestions to help you do so:

Become Familiar With the Rules and Restrictions – With this program, every state is making its own rebate rules, and those rules can change right up to its launch date (or sometimes even after). Therefore, you must first study and then monitor the guidelines posted by your state and municipality so that you’re ready to make a qualifying appliance purchase that meets the program guidelines.  Best utilization of this program requires that you fully understand all the rebates and incentives available under the program, as well as the rules and restrictions in claiming them.  At the end of this article is a set of alphabetized links to information on this program for each U.S. state and territory.

Research Your Appliance Purchase – As with any important purchase, make sure you’ve done your research and know exactly which appliances are right for you and fit within your budget.  From the set of appliances that you would consider purchasing, then, it is important to understand which do and which do not qualify for rebates and, if so, how that rebate will affect its value (i.e., does the rebate re-prioritize the wish list or add value to the appliance already at the top of your list).  If you find that the rebate will help you, understand where that rebate money will come from (state, utility, retailer, etc.) so that you’ve got the proper paperwork ready to go. Though your appliance retailer may be of some help, your best “Cash for Appliance” deal will result from you having an understanding of the program and its rules ahead of time.

Try to Leverage Other Offers – This is probably obvious, but do some comparison shopping to trying to identify other cost-cutting measures (e.g., sale prices, store promotions, or manufacturer incentives) which you might be able to combine with the “Cash for Appliances” rebate.  The best deals will no doubt result from layered discounts, if they can be found.

Act Quickly – Just as with the “Cash for Clunkers” program, there’s no guarantee on how long your local rebate funds will be available.  Only a certain amount of funding is allocated for this program and once that has been paid out, this opportunity will expire.  As the rebate processors and recycling contractors your state has hired to facilitate the program are being paid out of the same funds, rebates to fellow taxpayers is not the only thing draining the available pot of money. Therefore, if you live in a state that’s planning a two-phase rebate program, waiting for phase two may be risky.  The 0 million allocation for this program is not a very large number in federal budget terms. With the way it’s spread around the states and territories, don’t expect it to last long.  Some states allow you to sign up for a rebate program voucher or certificate to reserve your rebate.  If your state offers this, this may be a smart way to make sure you get your chance at a rebate.  Don’t jump the gun, though – the program is probably not retroactive, meaning if you buy a new appliance before the launch date for the program in your state, you’re not eligible for the rebate (check your state’s details to be sure).

Reference Links

General Information

ApplianceClunkerRebate.com
U.S. Department of Energy Web Site

Information for U.S. States (alphabetically)

Alabama’s Rebate Program Web Site
Alaska’s Rebate Program Web Site
Arizona’s Rebate Program Web Site
Arkansas’ Rebate Program Web Site
California’s Rebate Program Web Site
Colorado’s Rebate Program Web Site
Connecticut’s Rebate Program Web Site
Delaware’s Rebate Program Web Site
District of Columbia’s Rebate Program Web Site
Florida’s Rebate Program Web Site
Georgia’s Rebate Program Web Site
Hawaii (Oahu, Big Island, Maui, Mololokai, Lanai) Rebate Program Web Site
Hawaii (Kauai) Rebate Program Web Site
Idaho’s Rebate Program Web Site
Illinois’ Rebate Program Web Site
Indiana’s Rebate Program Web Site
Iowa’s Rebate Program Web Site
Kansas’ Rebate Program Web Site
Kentucky’s Rebate Program Web Site
Louisiana’s Rebate Program Web Site
Maine’s Rebate Program Web Site
Maryland’s Rebate Program Web Site
Massachusetts’s Rebate Program Web Site
Michigan’s Rebate Program Web Site
Minnesota’s Rebate Program Web Site
Mississippi’s Rebate Program Web Site
Missouri’s Rebate Program Web Site
Montana’s Rebate Program Web Site
Nebraska’s Rebate Program Web Site
Nevada’s Rebate Program Web Site
New Hampshire’s Rebate Program Web Site
New Jersey’s Rebate Program Web Site
New Mexico’s Rebate Program Web Site
New York’s Rebate Program Web Site
North Carolina’s Rebate Program Web Site
North Dakota’s Rebate Program Web Site
Ohio’s Rebate Program Web Site
Oklahoma’s Rebate Program Web Site
Oregon’s Rebate Program Web Site
Pennsylvania’s Rebate Program Web Site
Rhode Island’s Rebate Program Information
South Carolina’s Rebate Program Web Site
South Dakota’s Rebate Program Web Site
Tennessee’s Rebate Program Web Site
Texas’s Rebate Program Web Site
Utah’s Rebate Program Web Site
Vermont’s Rebate Program Web Site
Virginia’s Rebate Program Web Site
Washington’s Rebate Program Web Site
West Virginia’s Rebate Program Web Site
Wisconsin’s Rebate Program Web Site
Wyoming’s Rebate Program Web Site

Information for U.S. Territories (alphabetically)

American Samoa’s Rebate Program Web Site
Guam’s Rebate Program Web Site
Northern Marianas Islands’ Rebate Program Web Site
Puerto Rico’s Rebate Program Web Site
U.S. Virgin Islands’ Rebate Program Web Site

Written by SparkyB
Geek

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Selecting Green Appliances

June 17, 2011 By jlursecu Leave a Comment

The desire for green homes continues to increase, across America and around the world. It is estimated that green homes may command as much as one-fifth of the U.S. real estate market within just the next few years. Demand overseas, where energy use per capita is consistently much lower than in the U.S., and where energy costs are often quite a bit higher, may be far greater. The socially and environmentally conscious consumer is becoming more prevalent in all markets.

The dominant force in greening America’s appliances is the Energy Star program. This program, with participation by most appliance manufacturers and the Federal government, as well as many states and local governments, rates appliances by their cost, efficiency and energy consumption. An aggressive Energy Star program may save the average U.S. household more than one-third of their typical household expenses for energy use. The Federal government encourages Energy Star via tax incentives, while utility companies offer rebates, financiers offer lower home-loan interest rates, and buyers bid higher home purchase prices in both the new and resale markets. Incorporating Energy Star principles and appliances into homes not only reduces operating expenses, but also can improve appliance performance, while reducing exposure to asthma triggers, respiratory villains and toxic air.

In addition to benefits to homeowners and occupants, green appliances also help the planet. Roughly one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions in America are contributed by residences; any reduction in those emissions contributes to a more sustainable world. By using reduced amounts of energy, such appliances also reduce the likely burning of fossil fuels used to generate that energy, thereby reducing pollution, acid rain and smog. Green appliances also use less water, reducing the burden we all place on our planet’s limited freshwater supply.

Green ‘strategies’ employed in the development, design, manufacture and operation of green appliances include: increased energy efficiency; increased water efficiency; utilization of gray-water or rain-water; reduction of material waste; use of recycled materials; use of locally-sourced materials; use of non-toxic materials; and improved ventilation. These green strategies have been codified in a variety of standards, such as Energy Star, LEED, the NAHB Green Building Program, those of the U.S. Green Building Council, and the National Green Building Standard of the International Code Council (which is likely to be embodied in many state and local building codes across the nation). The application of such standards has clearly made a difference; it is estimated that the nation’s household appliances governed by such standards consumed just over half the energy in 2007 that they did in 2000.

But an even greater benefit of green appliances than energy conservation may be water conservation. Residences throughout the U.S. currently account for half of all of the nation’s freshwater usage, with clothes- and dishwashers accounting for about ¼ of that amount. Within the coming years, more than two-thirds of all states expect occasional local, regional and even statewide water shortages, if not repeated and severe water crises. Since merely 1% of the earth’s freshwater is available for human use, and it must all be endlessly recycled, any water conserved by more water-efficient appliances is a boon to us all. And, since much of the water used in clothes- and dishwashers is heated, water savings compound as energy savings as well. The EPA’s Water Sense Program is a corollary to the Energy Star program, and rates the water-efficiency of appliances and other such fixtures and fittings as toilets, urinals, faucets, showerheads, and irrigation systems. It typically targets water savings of 20% or more per appliance, fixture or fitting.

Due to their relatively long service life of roughly 10 to 15 years, appliances are good targets for life-cycle cost savings due to energy- and water-efficiency. Depending on the particular appliance and prevailing energy costs, it is likely an Energy Star appliance will recapture savings equivalent to its higher initial cost in only 4 or 5 years, thereby continuing to provide future cost savings for another full decade.

To achieve the greatest overall efficiency from appliances, consider each of the following efficiency-enhancing options carefully:

For clothes dryers: appropriately sized; gas rather than electric; a variety of cycles; timers; moisture sensors; dual-temperature heating elements; steam drying cycles.

For refrigerators: appropriately sized; top freezer; adjustable freezer and refrigerator temperatures.

For dishwashers: appropriately sized; sound insulation; adjustable or self-adjusting water levels; varied cycles.

For clothes washers: appropriately sized; varied cycles; adjustable or self-adjusting water levels; steam cleaning; front-loading (horizontal access).

For cooking: induction cooking rather than gas or electric cooktops or ranges; microwave oven rather than convection oven; convection oven rather than conventional oven; warming drawers.

Written by rickzimmerman

Well, something a bit different from what I usually do, but nevertheless here it goes: This is a video of a list of Household Appliances/Items/Objects that do get on my nerves a tad. They include: -The Humble Ice Cube Tray -My Hoover -An object I cannot identify that sits in the Kitchen drawer. -My retro telephone -The modern can I hope you enjoy this change from the dancing and lip-syncing, but it’s my first time attempting one of these “Vlog” type things, y’know? The song is “Mmm Bop” by Hanson. PS The red and black stripey shirt is now officially my “Video Shirt”; I do have more than just one change of clothes.

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