Cash For Appliances Rebate Program - Are Your Appliances Clunkers?

To move the United States out of the financial crisis of 2009, the Obama administration created the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriating billions of dollars for a variety of programs meant to get America working again. In addition to plans like the Mortgage Loan Modification plan and Cash for Clunkers, there's also a Cash for Appliances plan that has been in effect in some states and will just come into effect in many states later in April.

The goal with this program is twofold: give the economy a boost with appliance sales and take America down a greener path by encouraging them to buy Energy Star rated, more energy efficient appliances.

According to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, "These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs."

Are upgrades for any of these appliances on your wish list for 2010?

Plans vary by state but here's what will likely qualify in most states:

Clothes washers

Dishwashers

Central air conditioners

Water heaters

Heat pumps

Boilers

Furnaces

Freezers

Refrigerators

DOE Secretary Steven Chu also says, "Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there's enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month."

According to the Department of Energy, the rebate plan could lead to a savings of:

-$1,006,607 in energy cost annually

-355 gallons of water annually

-8042 tons of CO2 prevention annually

The Cash for Clunkers rebate program got some clunky reviews. The Cash for Appliances program is different in several ones. For starters, each is managed by states.

Secondly, you don't have to haul your clunker of a refrigerator or your energy sucking dryer with you to the appliance store. While some stores require verification that you did in fact recycle an old appliance, the rules are generally much more buyer friendly.

How much are the rebates?

Rebates will vary from state to state and also from Energy Star appliance to Energy Star appliance but expect rebates in the $50.00 to $200.00 range. For example in some cases there's a $100.00 rebate on clothes washers and a $75.00 rebate on refrigerators -energy efficient ones, of course.

Important Notice: The Cash for Appliances program has already been closed in these four states:

* Rhode Island

* Iowa

* Kansas

* Minnesota

How can I find out the details about the Cash for Appliances Rebate Program for my state?

Go to the Department of Energy website (energysavers.org) and click on your state. Often these links give you some general information about start dates and the appliances included as well a more local contact for details and applications. The DOE is warning folks to be ware of fake websites. It seems that whenever American consumers go to "cash in," hackers try to "cash in" too.

Car Ramps Snatch Blocks