At the end of February 2012, the final appliance rebate program, ended after around 2 years. This program which began at the end of 2009, has provided around $300 million in funding to 56 states and territiories. The Department of Energy has hailed it as a huge successm, and estimates that the program has resulted in a saving of around 1.7 trillion Btus (British thermal Units) in energy savings.
Around 88% of the rebates were redeemed for appliances, 10% on heating purchases and air conditioning equipment and 2% on water heaters. Appliance rebates were given, in order, to refrigerators, washing machines, diswashers and freezers.
Since funds within the program have now been distributed, it is thought that the program is not expected to return.
However, it may be worth searching the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, for incentives that exist in your state or territory.
Also there are also federal tax credits for efficient and renewable energy systems including geothermal heat pumps, solar and wind energy systems, and fuel cells.
For more infomation on these incentives, click on the links at the right of the page.
Why was the Appliance Rebate Program Introduced?
Programs such as these were introduced to try and encourage owners of electrical appliances to upgrade to a newer more energy efficient versions, sooner than they probably would have without the incentive. The theory being that the savings made in terms of energy consumption, outweigh the wastage factor of disposing of electrical appliances, before they are worn out.
It is thought that the appliance rebates for encouraging the use of energy efficient appliances, will result in savings for the government and energy companies, as they do not have to build a brand new infrastructure to cope with growing energy requirements. A National Grid System, transports electricity across the nation, and at present this system can only deliver a certain amount of electricity to consumers, also a factor is the increased workload on power generating stations.
We hear in the news frequently these days, about programs to create develop natural renewable energy, however it is certainly a possibility that in the future, the population may face a fuel shortage. However, it is safe to say that if as a nation, we can reduce energy consumption considerable, without sacrificing standards of living, that will be hugely beneficial to everyone.
With all this theory in mind, the appliance rebate program was created. Even thought the amount of energy consumed in each individual domestic household is relatively small, the vast total number of consumers, makes up a very large proportion of the energy used by the nation, and for that reason even small savings made in individual households are significant. Appliances that provide heating in very cold weather, or cooling in hot weather are normally the largest consumers of energy, next come those appliances used when cooking. Depending on the climate, these heating and cooling appliances are often on continually, and in some areas of the country, this means most of the year.
Air Conditioning Units, and Boilers, then Cooking appliances are followed by refrigerators, in terms of importance, when thinking about energy rebates. This is because refrigerators are turned on and running constantly, even though they may not appear to have a high wattage rating. In recent years, technology has advanced rapidly in refrigeration, and so significant improvements have been made to this type of appliances efficiency, therefore there is a big potential for saving both energy and money.A new Energy Star model refrigerator, may result in the use of around half as much much energy as the old model.
It is often thought that the smaller appliances will not use enough power to worry about them being energy efficient, but this may not be always correct. Because of the fact that TV’s and computers are often on for long periods of time, and because so many people have them, a small saving many times over can add up to a very big one, across the nation.It is a good idea to remember that Energy Star ratings also may apply to smaller devices, and can be purchased with energy savings in mind. Although this can not take priority over reliability, features and value for money, it is worth considering.