Posted on 08/24/2009 8:14:53 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Will this fall's federal rebate do for home appliances and heating and cooling systems what the Car Allowance Rebate System—aka cash for clunkers—has done for cars and trucks? The appliance industry certainly hopes so: Sales of dishwashers, refrigerators, and washing machines—the three appliances covered by the appliance-rebate program—have been off by some 25 percent from their peak during the last housing boom.
As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Obama administration is encouraging the purchase of energy-efficient appliances through a $300 million appliance-rebate program that will soon dole out amounts that could reach $200 per appliance if you buy Energy Star-qualified models. Appliances that qualify for Energy Star use roughly 10 to 25 percent less energy than the maximum allowed for that category by the U.S. Department of Energy, which runs Energy Star with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Watch the video here on our latest tests of water- and energy-efficient dishwashers at right.)
Unlike cash for clunkers, you won't have to turn in your old appliance to get a rebate. But states are expected to have recycling plans for the flood of old appliances the program could unleash. And while the money is coming from Washington, how much you get for which appliance will be a state-by-state decision.
State energy offices must detail the amount of the rebates for each appliance category and their plan for recycling old appliances by October 15. The money will be divided via a formula in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that is largely based on state population. For example, California, with a population of nearly 37 million, will receive just over $35 million, while Alaska's 686,000 inhabitants will get $658,477.
Combining the soon-to-be enhanced state incentives with those from federal government and local utilities can yield significant savings. We've detailed how you can combine these specific incentives on appliances, solar-, wind-, and geothermal-energy technologies, and air-conditioning systems.
You can save even more with these recently published appliance-buying tips from more than 25,000 Consumer Reports subscribers. We've also got ratings (available to subscribers) of 16 major appliance retailers and a wide range of appliances.
Cash for grandma.
Given that we have the mother of all un-booms going on now, to be down by 25% isn't bad at all.
Cash for Hookers...?
Another giveaway for the scum at General Electric. Immelt is on the board of the NY Federal Reserve which is now headed by an AFL-CIO goon.
Turn in your unsafe sex porn for safe sex porn....
I swear I think my head is going to explode. Is it just me, or is all this shi$ going down at warp speed?
Ooooooh... appliances...
Can you step across a state-line for the best deal?
Who or what could we trade in Al Gore for? He’s full of more hot air than anything or anyone else I can think of! ;-)
D-LA. Congressman Jefferson was way ahead on this scheme. He had cash in his freezer.
Our Sears washer & dryer are 17 years old. We are gonna’ cash in!
If you have a decent dishwasher that’s a decade or so old, you might want to keep it as long as possible. This is because the new ones can take as much as twice as long to run with their squirrel powered motors. (Sometimes this choice is not possible if the racks are wearing down to rusting metal and nobody carries replacements. Beware of rack substitutes recommended by online vendors; they sometimes do not fit.)
The same goes for various kinds of modern low water usage washers vs. older top loading washers. They run 2 or 3 times longer to make up for the smaller amount of water.
My Sears freezer is 27yrs old, and a friend has one even older than that !
windows. We’re going to have a national day of breaking windows to stimulate the economy
I bet they really want the older refrigerators because they contain a formula of Freon that’s been banned (but is more efficient).
General Electric used to run ads that showed pride in their vintage machines while touting the most modern models.
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