Cash for Appliances Rebates

Apr 23, 2010 | Energy Efficiency

Remember the "Cash for Clunkers" program of last fall? Well, it was so popular we now have Cash for Appliances! California was granted nearly $35M in federal funding to offer healthy appliance rebates. The program opened up in California on April 22nd and was recently expanded to include more appliances.

Each state received an allocation in the Cash for Appliances program based on their population. As of August 10, California still has over $19 million available. Rebates on a first-come first-serve basis, so if you are thinking about using the program to buy an appliance, now is the time to head to the store. For program details and list of the available rebates, visit the Cash4Appliances website.

Stacking Up the Incentives

The Cash for Appliances program provides rebates for fridges ($200), clothes washers ($100), dishwashers ($100), freezers ($50), and room air conditioners ($50). They also added new rebates for central air conditioners ($500 to $1000), furnaces, boilers and heat pumps ($300 to $1000) and some water heaters, including solar ($100 to $750).

Let's take a look at how you can combine some of these rebates with other incentives provided by local utilities.

Appliance Type Cash for Appliances Rebate Utility Rebates (Utility, Water, Recycling)
Total Incentives
Fridge $200 Alameda Municipal Power -- $135
City of Palo Alto -- $85
PG&E -- $50
Silicon Valley Power -- $85
Alameda Municipal Power -- $335
City of Palo Alto -- $285
PG&E -- $250
Silicon Valley Power -- $285
Clothes Washer $175
Alameda Municipal Power -- $100
City of Palo Alto -- $175
PG&E -- up to $175 (depends on water district)
Silicon Valley Power -- $175
Alameda Municipal Power -- $275
City of Palo Alto -- $350
PG&E -- up to $350
Silicon Valley Power -- $350
Room Air Conditioner $50
Alameda Municipal Power -- $0
City of Palo Alto -- $0
PG&E -- $50
Silicon Valley Power -- $25
Alameda Municipal Power -- $50
City of Palo Alto -- $50
PG&E -- $100
Silicon Valley Power -- $75

*** Check this website for local retailers that are partners in the Cash for Appliances program: link.

Want to talk over your options? Have questions? Speak with a WattzOn Green Home Expert for free. Call 1-800-314-5997. How to Get Your Rebates

Most stores have the utility rebate forms available at the time you buy your appliance. If you have any questions, check the links at the end of this article or call WattzOn at 1-800-314-5997.

All appliances, water heaters and heating and cooling equipment must be purchased from a California retailer or contractor (no out-of-state or internet purchases). You will need to work with a licensed California contractor for the installations of water heaters and heating and cooling units.

For refrigerators, clothes washers, and room air conditioners, you will need:
1. Completed and signed rebate application form
2. Completed and signed proof of recycling form with all required consumer, recycler or hauler, and replaced appliance information
3. Copy of the sales receipt for the purchased appliance
4. Copy of your most recent utility bill dated 60 days or less (to prove residency)
5. The original, bright yellow EnergyGuide label or universal product code (UPC) label from the purchased appliance, or proof of delivery from the retailer
Details are here.

For heating and cooling units, you will need:
1. Completed and signed rebate form
2. Copy of the executed contract (Home Improvement Contract) and a paid invoice
3. Copy of Certificate of AHRI-Certified Performance for the newly installed unit
4. Final signed off building permit, specifying installation address.
Details are here

For water heaters you will need:

1. Completed and signed rebate application form with all required consumer and contractor information.
2. Copy of the executed contract and paid invoice between you and your installation contractor
3. Copy of Solar Rating Certification Corporations (SRCC) product rating documentation
4. Final signed off building permit, specifying installation address.
Details are here

Note that you must recycle the existing, inefficient appliances with an approved provider (your utility, county or city, or one of the program's "platinum providers").

Be sure to mail your rebate in immediately after your purchase, as funds are available on a first-come first-serve basis only.

Finally, notice that for some of these items, the package of incentives includes a rebate from your energy utility for energy savings, a rebate for responsible recycling, a rebate from your water utility for water savings (clothes washer only) the federal government and store discounts. It's quite a deal!

Cash for Appliances: Your Tax Dollars at Work

Nationwide, the Cash for Appliances program has a $300 million budget, less than a third of the Cash for Clunkers program, which was $1 billion in total. Allocations from the national program were made based on state population. Some states launched their Cash for Appliances program in March, and the program is credited with lifting sales at Home Depot and Lowes by 1.5 - 2.5% during the first quarter of 2010. Another 15 states are launching their program in April.

In the stores, consumers across the country are saying they were lured in by the extra incentive. Most are replacing very old appliances that are nearly "dead" anyhow.

Want to talk over your options? Still have questions or concerns? Want to find a quality contractor? Speak with a WattzOn Green Home Expert for free. 1-800-314-5997

We are your free, independent, qualified, green home energy experts. We don't sell windows, furnaces or insulation or anything else for that matter, and while we can recommend products, we don't get paid by manufacturers. What we do provide is informed, expert and unbiased guidance on your best and most-effective opportunities to save energy, save money and make your home more green. WattzOn can also connect you to our network of qualified and verified local green home energy auditors and green home contractors who do great work.

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